Natural Predators of Garden Pests
To prevent plant problems, it is worth taking some time to encourage helpful natural predators, as they can help us with the job of pest control. There are a whole host of beneficial pest predators, such as hoverflies, ladybirds, lacewings, frogs, toads and hedgehogs, all of which can keep the populations of flies, beetles, grubs and slugs down to a manageable level.
Pest predators may be encouraged by providing food plants and shelter. For example, hoverflies can be attracted by planting French marigolds, which they visit for nectar, whilst slug-eating ground beetles enjoy the shelter that can be provided with mulches and thick planting. Some birds, such as blackbirds, blue tits and thrushes enjoy feeding on insects pests, and may be encouraged with water, food in the winter, and nesting boxes.
Always check bonfires carefully before lighting them, in case hedgehogs have hibernated inside.
It is vital that any other controlling measures taken against pests leave the beneficial insects and animals unscathed. Persistent chemical control can wipe out the populations of natural predators and leave your garden even more vulnerable to attacks and infestation. For instance, lacewing and hoverfly larvae, together with ladybirds, feed off aphids, and will be killed if unspecific insecticides are used. Hedgehogs may be poisoned by slugs that have eaten slug pellets, and centipedes will be harmed by soil insecticides.