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!Slugs are everywhere, although they hide away pretty well until my back is turned, then come out in force to feed. By sheltering during the day and emerging under cover of darkness, they escape my attention as well as that of many wildlife predators. The occasional

and grass, and it is here that I think they have been living all summer. Like many insects, once feeding is complete they deliberately move away from the food source to find a suitable place to pupate. There are, perhaps, two different reasons for this

, such as clover. Many pesticides just kill them.Our gardens are fast becoming refuges for bees - especially some species of bumblebee, which are happy to nest in wild corners, bird boxes and under sheds. Many also come into our gardens to feed. Sadly some species

feeding, nesting and hibernation preferences. Tongue lengths determine which flowers the bees can feed on, so grow flowers with long corollas like red clover, honeysuckle and foxgloves to attract long-tongued bumblebees like the commmon carder (Bombus

is, I’m afraid, a minute brown beetle. Saprosites natalensis is a tiny ‘dung’ beetle, just 2.5 mm long. Although its life history is unknown it is unlikely to feed in dung, and probably develops in rotten wood. A similar Australian species, Saprosites

the small golfball-sized embryo nest with its 15-20 cells in a single paper comb. After she has laid her first 15-20 eggs in these, she must forage for caterpillars, flies, aphids and other insects to feed to the grubs that hatch.This is a vulnerable time

for specimen plants.AdamIf there’s a chance of frost, pot these on rather than planting them straight outside.A couple of weeks after potting on, both mini- and standard plugs will benefit from feeding. Compost contains some fertiliser, but you’ll get better

.More garden bird projectsBlog on feeding birds, by Kate BradburyMake a hinged nest boxHow to help garden birds in springInstall a nest box bird cameraMake fat cakes for garden birds

pieces. Screw the brackets into the frame of the greenhouse to hold the gutter in place, with an end stop at one end and a downpipe on the other feeding water into the butt.Lengths of gutteringDownpipeGuttering bracketsJoining bracketsEnd stopA saw

to prevent it drying out.The exotic striped spathe will form on the side of the leaf stalk and lasts about one week before beginning to fade.AdamAdd loam or John Innes to your compost to improve nutrient levels, and start feeding every week once your plants