Pests

Sciarids are small black flies, also called fungus gnats. Sciarid flies are a common pest for plants grown indoors as well greenhouses and propagation.

Spider mites are a group of small eight-legged pests, the most common in UK greenhouses being the two spotted spider mite or red spider mite (Tetranychus urticae).

Aphids are common garden pests. They are sap sucking insects, commonly found on the underside of leaves and around the softer tissues of growing points of plants. 

Lovingly-tended healthy plants provide perfect conditions for pests to invade and establish. In natural ecosystems, pest numbers are kept down by their natural predators. Using beneficial predators in your garden controls and rebalances insect populations naturally. 

You can take steps to control pink maggots by using pheromone traps to capture the adult plum moth to prevent the cycle. Read this article to learn about plum moths and how to deal with them in all stages. 

Vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcataus) is a common UK garden pest affecting over 200 plants and fruits like strawberries. It’s active from Spring to Autumn. Natural nematodes applied to the soil offer the best treatment.

Fungus gnats, also known as sciarid flies, affect all types of plants including flowers, fruits and vegetables. They especially love indoor or greenhouse plants in pots and containers due to their moist soil and/or humid conditions, and can be very irritating to have flying around inside.

The clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) is a common household pest that feeds on the fibres in clothing, carpets and furnishings. They're most active May till October, and can be dealt with using parasitic wasps and pheromone traps.

The box tree caterpillar is a common pest in the UK, particularly the South East, feeding on box bushes. Without early detection and treatment this can cause devastation to your Buxus. Fortunately, pheromone traps are an easy way to detect and treat box tree infestations.