Chemical-free way to deal with bugs

OUR garden and the great outdoors in general is for us to enjoy and to appreciate and, depending on your slant, you may be enjoying a glass of vino al fresco on the decking, or your garden may be more productive with raised beds producing organic fruit and veg for you and the family.

The garden is home to myriad wildlife and beneficial insects. We are nearly programmed to think of all insects as bad and needing to be killed, but not every bug in your garden is a bad bug. Some creepy crawlies are in fact eating the bugs that are eating your plants and thus improving your garden. Knowing which ones to nurture and which ones to try and control can help you to cut down on the use of sprays that are harmful to the environment.

The food chain begins with the garden in more ways than just growing vegetables. All insects are an important part of the natural food chain in your garden for other wildlife to feed on. By keeping toxic chemicals out of your garden, you allow the beneficial wildlife to make an appearance because more often than not, these good guys are also affected by the pesticides that are marketed purely on our fear of greenfly or other aphids.