Garden Pests
Friend or Foe
Some creatures are almost universally (though not quite) considered to be pests when they are found in the garden, such as slugs and snails.
There are other creatures that some people hate, whilst others welcome as garden visitors. For example, some like to watch the antics of squirrels in their gardens, whilst others view them as little more than 'rats with more attractive coats'. Yet others consider grey squirrels to be pests but love red squirrels.
Gardeners have to decide for themselves what they want to attract to their gardens and what they want to deter.
The general principle is that some creatures bring us pleasure by their appearance or antics, whilst others seem to be intent on destroying our prize plants or driving out other welcome visitors. It is the latter group that we consider to be pests and against which we declare war.
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Weapons of Choice
What methods you choose to deter or eradicate pests is also a matter for personal preference. Some gardeners are happy to use chemical pesticides, whereas others prefer to use more natural and humane methods when they are available.
It's worth bearing in mind that garden plants are continually under attack by all kinds of pests and diseases. Fortunately, they have their own natural defences to help them survive most attacks, but sometimes, when the attack gets out of hand the gardener has to step in and lend a helping hand.