Beware snail and slug problems

17:08 16th July 2010

Garden and greenhouse plants could be more susceptible to slugs and snails after the recent wet weather.

According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the pests had been kept at bay by the dry spell, but have resurfaced as a result of the rain.

Worryingly for gardeners, they will happily take advantage of their new lease of life, munching on all manner of plants.

However, growers can take steps to ensure their hard work is not eaten away by the little pests, with the RHS recommending that copper tapes and egg shells be placed around the base of pots to help ward off the slimy crawlers.

Other methods include using slug pellets with metaldehyde or ferric phosphate, which should help stop the leaf-munchers in their tracks.

Those who have nematodes in their soil should not rest on their laurels though. The RHS explained that they are likely to have been killed by the dry period the UK experienced last month.

In other news, the RHS has asked its members to get involved in the Big Butterfly Count for Our Butterflies Week.