Search - Articles

The large, beautiful caterpillar larvae of the elephant hawk moth has two pairs of eye markings, which are made even more prominent when it withdraws its head into its body. They are, typically, a blackish-brown colour but are sometimes green, and though their 'eyes' make them lo...

containing imidacloprid or thiacloprid.euonymusmid-July, early September, winterMore common garden pestsWhiteflyLeaf miner flyMealybugsAphids

. Take care not to disturb the beetles before an application, or they'll jump out of harm's way.brassica seedlings, nasturtiums, alyssum, anemone, stocks, cleome, godetiaspring, summerMore common garden pestsLily beetleRosemary leaf beetleCapsid bugsLeatherjackets

trees and bushesall year roundMore common garden pestsWoolly aphidsScale insectsPear leaf blister miteLeafhopper

or they'll fly off.At the first sign of attack, spray plants with imidacloprid, thiacloprid or sunflower oil. Treatment is more effective on larvae than adults.lilies, fritillaries and Solomon's sealspring, summer, autumnMore common garden pests

,greenhouse and house plantssummer, autumn, winterMore common garden pestsAphidsPhormium mealybugThripsWhitefly

The mullein moth, Cucullia verbasci, lays its eggs on verbascum, buddleia and figwort at the end of spring. Shortly after, from late spring to midsummer, the caterpillars demolish the foliage. Bad infestations can actually strip a plant. They then hide in the soil to pupate.Cater...

. The adults have six legs and a pair of antennae, moving in the open at night, chewing the edges of leaves. This isn't itself a problem, but the fact that each adult is a female, laying almost 1,000 eggs in summer, is alarming.Holes and notches chewed out

The caterpillars of both the small and large cabbage white butterflies are are the two culprits. The first is pale green with a body up to 2.5cm long, the second is bigger at 4cm and is yellow with black markings. The adult butterflies lay eggs

More common garden pestsRosemary leaf beetleLily beetleVine weevilThrips