First aid tips for gardeners

Fiann Ó Nualláin says the cure for stings or bites is under your nose and is a great way to use up pesky weeds.

Most gardeners will not make it through a summer without a bite or a sting – it is an occupational hazard. But just like carpenters with splinters, one cannot fear the wood. Yes be vigilant of insects that bite and sting …. But if you were to check under every petal and leaf before watering or weeding – the garden would soon falter.

This latter end of summer is when stings and bites are more frequent – to many garden insects it’s the last mad dash before autumn and hibernation, displacement or death. Makes one tetchy. The salvation is the knowledge that when an incident happens there is a natural remedy in the garden and via the pantry or fridge to rescue the day.