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nest – perhaps hers.There has been more than enough fruit for all of us this year, so I’ve been happy to ‘share and share alike’, as we’re taught to do from an early age. I wish I could extend this generosity of spirit to the slugs and snails…

CanesChicken wire meshFebruary - April10 minutes to sow the seedsJune - AugustFor early crops, sow seed indoors now in pots or cells. Transplant into the garden when the seedlings are about 12-15cm high. This helps reduce damage from slugs, snails and pigeons

holders if sowing indoorsPea sticksProtective nettingFebruary (sowing) to August (harvesting)Peas sown directly in the soil can be eaten by slugs, snails and mice. For better results, raise them indoors in individual pots 8cm (3in) deep or root trainers

terracotta pots with polythene to reduce evaporation from the sides of the pot.Mulch soil around plants with straw or bark to prevent evaporation of water from the soil's surface. This will also ward off slugs and prevent weeds from growing, which compete

around your garden grazing on aphids and slugs. If you let full-sized hens into your borders then they will kick soil all over the shop and peck large holes in the emerging shoots of your most precious plants. Bantams are less destructive, but if the main

it was more of a slug hunt rather than a bug hunt, as the cold drizzle set in for most of the day. So when a local gardener brought out her bottle of beetles, she was just joining in the fun of it all. Of course, they were rosemary leaf beetles, Chrysolina

; slugs I thought, but maybe not.Wireworms are the tough cylindrical orange-brown larvae of click beetles. The agricultural ones, several Agriotes species, live in the soil layer feeding on roots and tubers, which of course, brings them into conflict

noticed they were paying particular attention to a couple of victims of the 12-year-old's sleep-over party at the weekend. Two dead slugs, seemingly crushed under the tent were being carefully examined by at least four wasps when I cleared up on Sunday

of worms, slugs and beetles. But it’s too small, which is bad enough in summer, but with all the freezing temperatures of late the composting process has come to a complete standstill. Compost heaps break down quicker in summer because the bacteria involved

imported topsoil, then tried (and failed) to sow a lawn from seed.I watched the evolution of the plot from courtyard to garden as more and more creatures visited it - blue tits and great tits, a robin, blackbird, bumblebees, butterflies, moths, slugs