Pest and Disease Control - Frequently Asked Questions
- I’m fed up with finding earwigs and woodlice around the outside of the home. What can I do?
- I prefer to use organic products wherever possible to control pests on my vegetables. What will get rid of aphids and whitefly?
- I’m not totally comfortable spraying chemicals in the garden. Can you give me some advice so that I can spray my plants safely?
- How do I control the snails that seem to live on the plant leaves of some of my decorative plants?
- I see that ants are crawling all over my decorative flowers. How can I get rid of them?
- Can I use Slugclear Liquid on edible crops?
Q. I’m fed up with finding earwigs and woodlice around the outside of the home. What can I do?
A. Both of these creatures are doing a useful job getting rid of dead plant material. To avoid this activity, clear up all the debris around the outside of the home first and then dust in crevices where the creatures were running with Ant Stop Powder. You can use this powder indoors as well to control ants, earwigs, woodlice and wasps.
Q. I prefer to use organic products wherever possible to control pests on my vegetables. What will get rid of aphids and whitefly?
A. Try BugClear Gun! for Fruit & Veg. It contains pyrethrins that will do a quick job on many pests including greenfly, blackfly, caterpillar and red spider mite. Alternatively there is a concentrated product containing rape seed oil that can be diluted and sprayed onto all fruit and vegetables. It’s called BugClear for Fruit & Veg.
Q. I’m not totally comfortable spraying chemicals in the garden. Can you give me some advice so that I can spray my plants safely?
A. Here are a few tips to ensure you do a good job without endangering you or the environment:
- Always read the product label before choosing and using.
- Check that the product can be used on the plants you wish to treat.
- Mix the product according to the instructions. Do not add any extra for ‘luck’.
- Spray thoroughly covering upper surface and underneath of leaves, stems and buds.
- Avoid spraying in bright sunlight as the water droplets can cause scorch. Never spray open flowers.
- Spray in the evening when pollinating insects are less likely to be on the wing.
- Wash out the sprayer thoroughly after use with a few drops of detergent, then rinse well and spray clean water through the nozzle.
- Store pesticides in a safe place out of the reach of children and pets.
Q. How do I control the snails that seem to live on the plant leaves of some of my decorative plants?
A. Pick off as many as you can reach easily and put them in the dustbin. Water the area and the plant leaves with SlugClear, a liquid molluscicide that will cover the foliage and thereby kill the slugs and snails that eat the leaves.
Q. I see that ants are crawling all over my decorative flowers. How can I get rid of them?
A. If you look closely you will probably see that the ants are ‘farming’ a colony of aphids (greenfly or blackfly). When gently caressed by the ants, aphids produce a sugary secretion much prized as food. It is not unknown for ants to carry sap-sucking aphids to fresh plants to start up new ‘aphid farms’. Control the aphids first with BugClear Ultra of BugClear Gun! and you will soon see that the ants disappear.
Q. Can I use Slugclear Liquid on edible crops?
A. No, we do not have clearance for Slugclear Liquid to be applied over the leaves of edible crops only ornamental ones. You can however use slug pellets around edible crops if applied as per the instructions.
