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during the day making collection easy. Sink shallow cups of beer or milk in borders, setting them slightly above soil level - you don't want ground beetles falling in as they are a natural predator of slugs. Keep your garden tidy, slugs love to hide under

.To top it all there's very little raspberry beetle damage - those horrible little browny maggoty things that sneak out of the top end of the fruit. I can't seem to pick the fruit fast enough and the entire family is going around with bright red stains

in it's own slug-trap cup. We had a scoring system which scored plus points for slugs and snails caught, and negative points for each ground beetle or other beneficial insect caught. Guinness was the resounding winner. I'm pleased to say that it works

, and perhaps the exotic, invasive harlequins have met their match with our harsh winter weather. I wonder how the citrus longhorn beetle has fared this winter. Luckily we don’t have those in the window frames, or I would be worried!I'd love to know if your

. In severe cases, growth becomes distorted, leaves curl up, the plant weakens and can die.Natural predators, such as birds, earwigs, ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies, ground beetles, spiders and parasitic wasps are a gardener's best allies. Some

, greenhouse plantsall year roundMore common garden pestsAphidsFlea beetleEuonymus scaleWhitefly

, butterflies and hoverflies. Its strong scent can also deter aphids. Plant with carrots and leeks to confuse pests.LavenderWormwood, Artemisia absinthium, is a strongly scented herb that can deter aphids and flea beetles from attacking neighbouring plants. Its

for the following year.More on growing asparagusAsparagus beetle blog, by Richard Jones.How to improve your soil.Weed by hand video project.

stems are perfect for the bee hotel. Easy to gather and cut, they are available in a range of diameters, including 3-5mm, as preferred by the bees.Attracting insects and wildlife to your gardenPlants for beesWildlife-friendly plantsMaking a stag beetle

to the seeds.AdamFlea beetle can be a problem in summer, nibbling holes in rocket leaves. The best defence is to cover the row with a length of horticultural fleece or a fleece-covered mini tunnel.Advice on growing salad cropsRead Pippa Greenwood's blog