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The New Zealand flatworm was first introduced to the UK in the 1960s, although it has never become as great a problem as was originally feared. It's purple-brown on top, and flat and pointed at both ends. When resting it coils up, is covered

of the plant, it turns yellowish-brown and becomes a slimy rot.Promptly remove any infected parts of the lettuce. Try to reduce the risk of damage to lettuce leaves by drowning slugs and snails in beer traps, or go on a night-time patrol and remove them by hand

for something easier to grow like courgettes. I think it's a combination of cooler temperatures slowing down germination and the wet weather increasing slug and snail populations beyond belief - certainly around the misty damp hills of Bath anyhow! I wonder

and snails paid them a great deal of attention - a lot more than Lizzy and me - and the cold, damp weather seemed to stop them in their tracks. If you need some tips on growing beans take a look at the rhs website.They just sat there for weeks, getting

water and frozen too as it takes a good while for me to eat a season's corn. Paul doesn't like sweet corn - or so he informed me after we grew an enormous bed of it the year before last! This year we only grew half a bed so about 10 plants and that seems

of the cabbage white butterfly caterpillars, cabbage root fly, pigeons, slugs and snails. Maybe it's just as well I've got so many.

abdomen as a mating signal to passing males -far more subtle than the red light! The male, by comparison, is a dull browny-black. The larvae (which, sadly, I've never seen) are a gardener's friend as they feast on snails throughout June and July

as these lovely, helpful insects I've also got a good smattering of the not-so-helpful varieties of wildlife, such as slugs, snails, chafer beetles and assorted aphids.I've also spotted a few cabbage white butterflies hovering around my brassicas. It's hard

hens. Now, once again, we have plenty hens and plenty of eggs. The garden will soon benefit from larger quantities of well-rotted poultry manure and we should also see a decline in the numbers of slugs and snails.I expected the kids to be happy - I

off and I went out to have a look. Nothing. All very curious until I went out again on Tuesday and had a look around. There, sheltering against the recesses of the bars and grills are several small garden snails and amongst them are some garden spiders