Spring is here and plants are beginning to bloom and grow, but sadly just like every year; pasts like slugs, bugs and snails begin eating up our lovely plants and crops. So here at Mr Fixing It we have compiled a few simple hints and tips to help keep the slugs and bugs at bay. Just because they are natural doesn’t mean you should have to tolerate their pesky ways.

The first thing you want to do is tackle diseases, which build up in crowded areas, having spaced out plants increases airflow. Increased airflow stops the air from becoming stagnant and becoming stale and carrying diseases from plant to plant. This will then also slow down the spreading of pests due to the more spread out nature of your garden.

Aphids are one of the most common pests, coming in their hundreds and sucking the life out of every plant they come by, they are truly a great pest. the most quick and organic way of dealing with them is a quick blast from the hose onto all the plants and leaves which will knock them off.

Then you have cucumber beetles, which are attracted to cucumber like plants and spread disease quickly throughout them. Once cucumber beetles arrive they are difficult to get rid of, the best way to stop them from arriving is to clean up all dead leaves and ruffage out of season so that they do not build up during the winter time.

Grasshoppers will destroy anything they come near, but luckily they can be stopped by attracting robber flies which will attack and kill them on sight, as they are prey to them. Sunflowers, Marigolds and Calendula are good plants to attract these flies and they do not attack your vegetation either. Grubs, slugs and snails can be stopped simply by purchasing some sort of pellets or powder from your nearest DIY store; B&Q or Homebase are good places to start.

Those strange crayon liek lines on your leaves are caused by leaf miners, at most they simply leave their trails along the leaves and do not actually cause any damage or harm to the leaves itself. The best thing you can do is remove any leaves that have been infected.

Dill, Sunflowers, Marigolds and Calendula attract many of the good guys that prey on the pests in our garden. You can help them out by raking through your plants or using a stick to move them around to cause insects to fall off and become easier targets for the good guys.

Last, but by no means least. We have black spot, which attacks our lovely rose beds. This black spot will turn your prize winning roses into a prize losing eyesore. Keep the foilage of the roses dry over night so that black spot does not beging to build up, if it has already started keep it dry from now on to stop it from spreading all through the roses and remove any damaged areas.

I hope you found these few hints and tips useful and interesting and enjoyed the blog this time from your pest-ridding friends here at Mr Fixing it.