To prevent plant problems, it is worth taking some time to encourage helpful natural predators, as they can help us with the job of pest control. There are a whole host of beneficial pest predators, such as hoverflies, ladybirds, lacewings, frogs, toads and hedgehogs, all of which can keep the populations of flies, beetles, grubs and slugs down to a manageable level.
Pest predators may be encouraged by providing food plants and shelter. For example, hoverflies can be attracted by planting French marigolds, which they visit for nectar, whilst slug-eating ground beetles enjoy the shelter that can be provided with mulches and thick planting. Some birds, such as blackbirds, blue tits and thrushes enjoy feeding on insects pests, and may be encouraged with water, food in the winter, and nesting boxes.
