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Post by alf1951 on May 12, 2016 6:38:13 GMT
I try to attract invertebrates to my garden so was not impressed when I read this in Rightmove's newsletter.
"Liquidise those bugs
Sounds gross, but this tip is great for creating all natural insecticides you can spray on plants in your garden. Trap and then blend together bugs from your garden in a mixer, add to water and then spritz this mixture onto the affected plants.
It’s like treating poison with an antidote made from a mild solution of the poison itself, bugs won’t want to visit places where the remnants of their dead pals have been sprayed – or it just doesn’t smell great to them. Also, please ensure you use a different blender for bugs – no wants a nasty surprise in their smoothie the next day."
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Post by Cotham Marble on May 12, 2016 10:21:07 GMT
I think that just has to be listed under "things Estate Agents say".
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Post by faith on May 12, 2016 10:21:08 GMT
What a horrible thought! I suppose if you were desperate to deter certain bugs, and went round collecting ones that were already dead from natural causes it would be OK, as it doesn't involve any nasty chemicals at least. However, I wouldn't be even be certain it would work – is that the way bugs' minds work?
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Post by rowanberry on May 12, 2016 21:18:13 GMT
Several years ago, we had a flat with a small paved courtyard out back... I filled it with potted plants, and in a fit of naive optimism I got a small banana tree off eBay. (I like banana trees, and was an inexperienced gardener. What can I say.  ) Needless to say, it soon got an infestation of small black bugs... some sort of beetle, I can't remember now what they were, but I spent ages googling for ways to get rid of them in an environmentally friendly way. I came across a recipe that involved nasturtium leaves and rosemary, (and I can't remember the rest now) but it worked. All I did was pour boiling water over my assorted leaves, left it to cool overnight and strained it into a spray bottle the next day. I gave the banana tree a good soaking with it, and the beetles left, never to return again, (the banana tree was brought indoors to become a rather bizarre Christmas tree that winter. It eventually died when we moved and the frost got to it.)  Banana Tree by Wabi Gallery, on Flickr My point is, there are so many natural methods of repelling insects, that the idea of putting them in a blender is quite strange... how would you get enough of them for it to be effective?? Here is a website with loads of other recipes- tipnut.com/natural-pesticides/Saying that, the slugs around here are getting seriously out of hand... I'm going to have to try and find something to get them under control. I don't think that the traditional beer traps are a good idea- I'd probably end up with drunken foxes maurading about the neighbourhood.  |
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Post by Tringa on May 15, 2016 14:47:46 GMT
We found Nemaslug (not a nasty, just nematode worms) to be an effective control for slugs.
Dave
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Post by alf1951 on May 16, 2016 7:02:15 GMT
I don't get too worried about slugs - it's the snails which do all the damage to my garden. Cleaning out pots yesterday I found a Limax flavus tucked into the bottom of a pot (a favourite place these slugs like to hide) OK, I know this one is viewed as an agricultural pest but it seems to do little harm in the garden. Mind you, I don't think Mrs A was too impressed with my liberating it into a flower border!
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Post by aeshna5 on May 17, 2016 16:42:53 GMT
Sometimes coffee grounds works well at repelling molluscs from susceptible plants.
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