Garden Pests

[Busman747]

Its the growing season again and all those fortunate enough to have a garden can start to enjoy the fruits of the work you put in during the spring months - - - but are you plagued by pests?

I have had to cope with various things in the past like aphids and slugs but on a different forum (USA based) some guy had a problem with holes in his lawn and members not only gave suggestions as to what had caused them, they mentioned also, their problem pests! All I can say is that I am glad I live in England!!

This is what they complained of in order of size(ish)
Aphids
Spiders (1000's of li'l black ones on lawn)
Fire Ants (Having to wear boots in summer to cross the meadow)
Grasshoppers
Mole Crickets (whatever they are)
Slugs and Snails
Japanese Beetles (eat anything in their path apparently)
Voles and Moles
Packrats
Gophers
Squirrels
Chipmunks
Possum
Skunks
Raccoon
Groundhog
Rabbits
Armadillo
Fox
Deer
Moose
>
>
>
and finally................................



If they find any Black snakes, they are to be encouraged as they eat copperhead snakes which are extremely venomous

Do YOU have any unusual pests in your garden (apart from family members)

[magpie]

I have a family of toads in mine... great for eating all the slugs and the cat like to watch them....

[nikkival]

We've got a family of field mice nesting in the rockery at the back of the garden. They climb the wall of the garage to get to the fatballs we put up for the birds. As long as they're at the back of the garden I don't mind, but if they venture any further forward I'll be buying one of those plug-in repellers to keep them out of the house.

[magpie]

mice...... no way get the traps down and the plugs ins... I use the plug in thingys and they seem to work ( well I have never seen any mice around or in my house) they seem to keep the spiders out to:

[Eric]

I have squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons (the same one every year, she is missing and ear, and always comes along with her young ... one pest I would miss), moskies, one time a coyote, lots of skunk (harmless is you don't scare them), gulls ... a friend of mine had a deer in his swimming pool last year. However, we don' yet have bears (apart from what we tell gullible foreigners). Oh, and the Canada Goose I had a few months ago.

[mallard]

I hope you find something to sort it out . and good luck

[fc:stanley]

Weve had hedgehogs but i shouldnt mension them because they dont seem like pests. Had mice that are bad , because of the field behind us we get alot , however we just put posiondown.

[Eric]

Just been out on my deck, sharing my morning toast with the squirrels and the sparrows. Maybe they are not pests. And the momma raccoon that comes by with her little ones, her neither. It's neat to live in a city which still has a large urban wildlife population. Altho' the moskies can take a hike.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Our slugs don't seem half as bad after hearing about that lot!

[Royboy39]

Originally Posted by Eric

Just been out on my deck, sharing my morning toast with the squirrels and the sparrows. Maybe they are not pests. And the momma raccoon that comes by with her little ones, her neither. It's neat to live in a city which still has a large urban wildlife population. Altho' the moskies can take a hike.

Don't have raccoons or moskies i' Darren but we do have flying rats and garden gnomes who pinch the strawberries.

[WillowTheWhisp]

We've got garden pests here that pinch half yer garden!

[Royboy39]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

We've got garden pests here that pinch half yer garden!

Willows Lane has always been on a downwards slope

[WillowTheWhisp]

At least it keeps the flood waters flowing.

[SPUGGIE J]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

We've got garden pests here that pinch half yer garden!

Hire LLY as a garden guard he seems to have it down to a tee.

[LancYorkYankee]

This is what they complained of in order of size(ish)
Aphids - Yes (lady bugs control them well)
Spiders - Yes and greatly encouraged
Fire Ants - Nope, too far north
Grasshoppers - Yup (guineas and chickens control them well)
Mole Crickets -Yup (guineas and chickens control them well)
Slugs and Snails -Yup (guineas and chickens control them well)
Japanese Beetles (eat anything in their path apparently) - Yup, these things are a terrible menace. I have four large traps for them and empty ~300 from each every other day! Plus guineas and chickens follow me around each evening and eat those that I shake out of the trees.
Voles and Moles - Yes (plus field mice and pocket gophers)(Dogs and cats control them)
Packrats - ?
Gophers - Yup (we call them woodchucks or groundhogs)(Dogs and Ruger 22 control them well!)
Squirrels - Yes (my "herd" is fattening up on my grapes and fruit trees)(Ruge 22 culls them well)
Chipmunks - Yes but not a problem
Possum - Yes but not a problem
Skunks - Yes but not a problem (unless dogs get into 'em)
Raccoon -- Yes but not a problem
Groundhog -See above
Rabbits -- Yes but not a problem
Armadillo - Nope
Fox - Yes (lost many a guinea to these sly ones)
Deer - Yes but not a problem
Moose - Nah
and finally...- Yes but not a problem



If they find any Black snakes, they are to be encouraged as they eat copperhead snakes which are extremely venomous (This is very true and I encourage the black rat snakes and corn snakes. Much to the famlies' chagrin!

Do YOU have any unusual pests in your garden (apart from family members)

In addition to the above, I've been out from ~ 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. picking a very damaging beetle (maybe Asiatic brown beetles) off my sunflowers, peppers, eggplants, sweet potatoes and mint. Drop/pick about 100 into a coffee can and feed them to the frogs and turtles in the morning.

Birds are also a blessing and a curse. I lost all my cherries and many blueberries and blackberries to them. However, I believe they eat more bad guys then the harm they may do.

Hey, WAKE UP! I HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO SHARE WITH YOU GUYS!!


Brian