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, I don't like cats or the mess they leave, but laser guns, spikes on fences, get a grip, or better still a springer spaniel. Birds in poor condition because they lack nutrition are far more vulnerable to predation by cats, keep feeding, especially

Nice to see someone like Aphids,The birds like them in my garden,I don't seem to have very many.Oldchippy. Brilliant post by our favourite insect lover! Lovely post! Having a bit of chat in the office about this post and we've come to the conclusion we like aphids too!Not only do...

I'm just back from a weekend visiting an old friend in Banwell, near Weston-Super-Mare. Always envious of his rambling house and large walled garden, we got to talking over garden wildlife and the troubles of traipsing fox dung through the kitchen. Disgusting, even if the fox was...

A few weeks ago I wrote about moving a bumblebee nest from a friend's garden. At the end of the blog I mentioned that I'd found a wax moth in the nest.Wax moth is a native, natural predator of the bumblebee, but it's one of its biggest enemies

.It's eagerness to fly is probably linked to the fact that it is unlikely to be eaten by predators - its bright colours are a warning of poisonous and distasteful chemicals inside its body. So it takes to the wing without a care and dashes brazenly about to a new

A means by which a selected natural mechanism (eg, parasitism, predation, disease) is used to control pests. Has the advantage of minimising the legal, health and environmental hazards associated with chemical control.

Froth, resembling spit, produced by the larvae of froghopper insects, to provide them with thermal and moisture control, and to hide them from predators. The larvae suck sap from the plant, but generally do little harm.

predator of slugs so you are not introducing any chemicals

lacewings have started to seek out basic B with no B in the old out building near my house. Their young or larval stages are such voracious predators of aphids that I'm happy to have their parents to stay any time! Quite often they turn up in the house too

a lot of damage unless they're in serious numbers. There's also a tiny wasp predator called Encarsia Formosa which you can buy.  The problem with using predators like these is the cost (they don't come cheap) and there is always a minimum temperature