How to... beat the bugs

DON’T wait for plants to look sick – regularly check them for pests and diseases so you can nip any problems in the bud.

Small colonies of large pests can be removed by hand or, in the case of aphids, washed off with soapy water.

Ant and wreck

Ants running up and down the plants are a tell-tale sign there are aphids about.

You might want to go on a bug hunt at night to catch some culprits feeding, such as slugs, snails, vine weevils andd earwigs.earwi Set traps to catch them resting in the day such as an upturned grapefruit shell to create dark hiding places in between plants.

Slugs especially dislike the taste of mint so you can use it to form a protective barrier around your crops.

Smell danger

Cleverly use herbs to mask the scent of plants that normally attract pests.

Strong-smelling herbs such as rosemary and chives will protect carrots ffrom carrot fly. Plant French marigolds, their scent is disliked by most pests.

Marigolds will also nurse ailing plants and enhance the growth and flavour of most crops grown with it.

The roots also produce a chemical which repels nematodes, making it a great companion for root crops.

Yellow and goodbye

Marigolds are useful because of their colour too. Predators such as hoverflies, ladybirds and lacewings will be attracted to the bright colour in your plot and gobble up pests. So try popping in other beauties in shades of yellow, such as the poached egg plant and sunflowers. You will see a difference keeping the nasty pests away. Carrot flowers are a big hit with many insects, especially aphid-eating hoverflies. Leave a few behind to flower and they will pay you back.