Non-native, feral rodents, such as the Black Rat, aka Roof Rat (Rattus rattus), Brown Rat, aka Ship Rat or Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus) and House Mouse (Mus musculus) are destructive pests that can cause considerable damage to a home and garden if they’re not controlled. Inside the home they may spoil and contaminate food, physicallyContinue reading “The Best Ways to Trap Rats and Mice That Really Work”
Tag Archives: traps
Will Queensland Fruit Fly Traps Attract More Pests Into My Garden?
Despite the unfounded concerns of some gardeners, setting up Queensland fruit fly traps will not attract more of the harmful female pests into your garden. These traps do work effectively to reduce the numbers of the pest already there, and are best installed at the start of spring (September), before fruit and vegetables develop. TheseContinue reading “Will Queensland Fruit Fly Traps Attract More Pests Into My Garden?”
How to Make a Queensland Fruit Fly Trap and Bait
One of the most damaging pests of fruit and vegetables in Australia is the Queensland fruit fly or Qfly (Bactrocera tryoni). To control this pest, you can make your own home made traps using empty clear plastic bottles, and also make the homemade bait lure liquid to put into them, as described in this article.Continue reading “How to Make a Queensland Fruit Fly Trap and Bait”
How to Make a Simple Earwig Trap That Doesn’t Need Bait
European earwigs are usually considered to be garden pests, but they rarely damage leafy green vegetables. When they do, they leave many rough irregular holes with a shredded, jagged appearance in the leaves, much like snail and slug damage. They also chew leaves around the edges, similar to the damage caused by caterpillars. Before treatingContinue reading “How to Make a Simple Earwig Trap That Doesn’t Need Bait”
Garden Pests – How to Control Snails and Slugs Without Toxic Chemicals
Snails and slugs are one of the most destructive garden pests, causing extensive damage to seeds, seedlings, leaves, fruit and tubers. They go about unseen because they only come out at night or on rainy days to feed, and hide during the day. The damage is usually discovered the next morning, but there’s usually noContinue reading “Garden Pests – How to Control Snails and Slugs Without Toxic Chemicals”
How to Make an Outdoor Ant Trap to Protect Fruit Trees from Aphid and Scale Pests
Spring is the time when the weather warms up, and nature springs to life. Fruit trees flower and put out their new leaves ready for the growing season. Sugar rich sap rises from the roots of fruit trees to fuel the new season’s growth. Gardeners look forward to the beginnings of spring, but so doContinue reading “How to Make an Outdoor Ant Trap to Protect Fruit Trees from Aphid and Scale Pests”
How to Make an Earwig Bait Trap Using Oil, Water and Soy Sauce
The European earwig (Forficula auricularia) is one of our most common earwigs found worldwide in gardens. These insects are scavengers, and they are omnivores – they are voracious feeders on soft-bodied insects such as aphids and insect eggs, they also prey on mites, spiders, and various insects, so they do serve a role as beneficialContinue reading “How to Make an Earwig Bait Trap Using Oil, Water and Soy Sauce”
How to Control Fungus Gnats in Indoor Plants
The annoying little flies often seen flying around indoor plants are fungus gnats. The adult flies are just a nuisance, but their larvae, which mainly eat fungi growing in decomposing organic matter (such as over-watered plant potting mix!) will also eat the roots of houseplants, and can transmit root diseases. Fungus gnats are only aContinue reading “How to Control Fungus Gnats in Indoor Plants”
How to Make Borax Ant Bait for Indoor and Outdoor Use
Ants can be a major pest in the garden because they ‘farm’ aphids and scale – they safeguard them in their nests over winter, then bring them out in spring and carry them onto the new plant growth, then collect the honeydew that aphids and scale excrete as they feed off the plant’s sap. ToContinue reading “How to Make Borax Ant Bait for Indoor and Outdoor Use”
How to Control Queensland Fruit Fly in the Home Garden, An Integrated Pest Management Approach
Queensland fruit fly or Qfly (Bactrocera tryoni) is one of the most damaging pests of fruit and vegetables in Australia. This insect is native to eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, but has extended its range due to transport of infected fruit, the planting of exotic host crops, and climate change. Now that theContinue reading “How to Control Queensland Fruit Fly in the Home Garden, An Integrated Pest Management Approach”
Citrus Problems – How to Control Citrus Gall Wasp, Methods That Work
What are Citrus Galls? Citrus galls are unsightly swellings caused by a tiny female citrus gall wasp (Bruchophagus fellis) which lays her eggs in the soft new growth of citrus trees in spring. As the new growth hardens off, a woody gall forms around the growing wasp larvae. Each gall contains many wasp larvae, eachContinue reading “Citrus Problems – How to Control Citrus Gall Wasp, Methods That Work”