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Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
UK households urged to do one task so butterflies will keep returning
Transform your garden into a colourful butterfly haven with this one expert gardening tip that will see these gentle creatures fluttering around your lawn summer-round If you want to see butterflies fluttering across your lawn all summer, make sure you complete this one simple task. Encouraging butterflies in your garden is more crucial than ever, given that these beautiful creatures have sharply dropped in population in the UK. According to the results of Butterfly Conservation's Big Butterfly Count, 2024 was one of the worst years on record for butterflies, making it the fifth-worst year since records began. Conservation specialists now say that over half of butterfly species are in long-term decline. Fortunately, there are some ways that you can make your garden more butterfly-friendly - and it takes barely any time at all. According to Harry Bodell, a gardening expert from having fresh blooms is key to keeping butterflies around your home. He said: 'Butterflies need fresh flowers, as old ones have little to no nectar.' He continued: 'When you remove dead blooms from your flowers, known as deadheading, you free up energy and space for the plants to create new blossoms, meaning more nectar for butterflies.' To deadhead flowers, Harry says that you first must remove the faded or wilted blooms from the plant. He explained: 'Pinch or cut off the flower stem below the spent flower and just above the first set of full, healthy leaves.' Don't worry about what tools you have on hand. Harry adds that you can use your fingers, pruning shears, or scissors to do this. As for what kinds of flowers you should plant in your garden, Harry suggests that butterflies are attracted to colourful blooms, such as red, orange, purple and yellow. He added: 'Other factors that will make plants appealing include sweet nectar, accessible shape, and scent. Some of the best flowers for attracting these pollinators to your garden are aster, lavender, milkweed, sage, and sunflowers.' Equally, it's a good idea to plant perennial and annual plants. Perennials regrow every spring while annuals last just one growing season a year. This helps provide butterflies with a year-round variety of plants to feed on. As for other ways to keep butterflies coming back to your garden, it can be helpful to reduce your mowing frequency. This is because butterflies prefer lawns with varying grass lengths. Allowing your garden to grow more freely can create a far more diverse environment, which is ideal for butterflies. It can also allow other creatures to thrive.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Brits urged to act immediately if they find one common sticky weed in flower bed
Brits are being told to act immediately after a common weed is set to overtake the garden spaces during the summer time, and you just need a towel and your bare hands. Heatwave conditions will make weeds grow rapidly, and Brits have been told to act quickly when spotting a common weed that spreads right under our noses. Weeds can be an annoying problem to deal with, especially during the summer months when the temperatures can get quite unbearable forcing them to grow uncontrollably. As explained by gardening expert Harry Bodell at it's important to know what to look for and how to differentiate a weed from a garden plant. And this specific weed is quite the menace. It contains Velcro-like stems which can stick to clothing and other plants. What's worse is this is exactly how it spreads at an exponential rate. What is Goose-grass? Goosegrass, also known as sticky weed or cleavers, are tall and messy-looking, and can quickly take over a flower bed. in the first instance. They stick to other plants and even your clothes if you come into contact with them, making the stems difficult to remove. The easiest way to spot them is by looking for their whitish and flat stems. They usually appear when the grass gets mowed too short and the soil is poorly drained. That said, proper care of the lawn will avoid these sorts of problems. How best to remove Goose-grass The site explained: 'To remove Goose-grass from your lawn or other areas, pull it out of the ground by hand or remove it using a small trowel when the soil is damp, such as after rainfall. Be sure to remove the roots as well as the leaves and stems to prevent the weed from growing again.' Like many other types of weed, there's no need to use weed killers or other harmful chemicals - simply pulling them out effectively should do the job well. But, gardening experts and amateurs must look through the weeds and remove the roots accordingly to prevent them from growing back. Otherwise, you'll see yourself repeating the same task over and over again, and potentially losing sight of where this pesky weed is spreading. The RHS says Goosegrass does have some benefits as it's a great way to attract wildlife and increase the biodiversity in your garden spaces. Nonetheless, it's good to take control on the spread of cleavers around seedlings and young plants. Still, by fixing this as soon as it's spotted, gardeners can rest assured that their outdoor spaces will be as green and mess-free as possible. It doesn't take a lot of expertise or unnecessary financial expenses, but just some time and patience.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
Banish flies from your house with weird coin trick that 'actually works'
As the warm weather continues across Ireland, one uninvited guest keeps making an appearance in homes - flies. The buzzing, the landing, the hovering around food - it's enough to drive anyone mad. But fans of cleaning guru Mrs Hinch may have found a bizarre but brilliant hack to keep them at bay - and all you need is a sandwich bag, some coins and water. The unusual trick went viral in a Mrs Hinch cleaning group after one woman asked for advice on how to deal with a sudden surge of flies near her home, which is close to a farm. Posting in the popular Facebook group, she asked: "What's the best thing to get rid of flies? Live near a cow farm and they are starting already." In response, someone told her to get a sandwich bag, some coins and some water to deter flies, Express reports. The bag should then be hung near open windows and the flies reportedly steer clear of entering as they sense danger. The comment explained: "Put a few pennies in a clear bag in water and hang it up ... (you need to change the water every now and then though). Flies and wasps think it's a wasps nest and stay away! I did this today, I hung it in the centre of the French doors into the conservatory. I've only seen one fly today, well worth a try!" Another person chimed in: "Put some copper coins in a food bag with water and hang them on door frames. Works a treat, I have had no flies in my house for years !!!" This deterrent apparently works because of how flies see. Their compound vision makes them extremely sensitive to light, colour and reflections. The coins and water together create a prismatic effect, bouncing light around in a way that appears threatening to flies. It may sound odd, but many say it's more effective than sprays or sticky traps - and much cheaper too. Other users suggested classic fly deterrents like mesh curtains, especially if you have pets going in and out. One woman said said: "Fly curtains brilliant I don't get them." Another wrote: "Old fashioned but I did this today. Helped immediately. Plus my dog can still get in and out." As for what an expert suggests, Walter Murphy a pest control specialist at said: "The best way to get rid of flies is by making sure your home is clean and free of any sugary substances, rotting meat or other waste. This will involve wiping down surfaces and emptying the bin as often as possible to prevent flies from lingering in your home. You can also use natural repellents, such as apple cider vinegar, to get rid of flies."
Daily Record
02-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Mrs Hinch fans share 'brilliant' hack using coins to get rid of flies
A Mrs Hinch fan has shared a simple yet effective hack to get rid of flies, which uses coins, water and a plastic sandwich bag With summer on the horizon, house flies become an increasingly common irritation as they frequently invade homes in search of food. The bothersome bugs can cause quite the commotion, particularly when they gather in swarms inside homes during the warmer summer months, lured in by the smell of food or rubbish bins. Yet, according to one devoted Mrs Hinch fan, there's no need for potent chemicals to handle your insect issues. Instead, she advocates for the use of coins and a plastic sandwich bag as a solution. The handy tip emerged on a Facebook group for Mrs Hinch devotees, where a lady asked for advice on how to manage flies given her home's close proximity to a farm. She asked: "What's the best thing to get rid of flies? Live near a cow farm and they are starting already." One helpful person responded with an innovative yet simple technique. They posted: "Put a few pennies in a clear bag in water and hang it up - you need to change the water every now and then though. Flies and wasps think it's a wasps nest and stay away!" One impressed group member confirmed that the hack does indeed work, posting: "I did this today, I hung it in the centre of the French doors into the conservatory. I've only seen one fly today, well worth a try!" Another confirmed the claim, saying: "Put some copper coins in a food bag with water and hang them on door frames. Works a treat, I have had no flies in my house for years!". The reason this works is due to the fact that flies have compound vision - meaning they see things differently to the way humans do. The flies see the bag of water multiple times at once, and with the pennies inside, it creates a rainbow prism that hurts their eyes. Fly curtains are also an effective way to deter flies, especially for homes with pets that go in and out throughout the day. One other commenter added: "Fly curtains brilliant I don't get them." Another wrote: "Old fashioned but I did this today. Helped immediately. Plus my dog can still get in and out." The most effective fly repellent is keeping your home free from waste - particularly food. Walter Murphy, a pest control specialist at said: "The best way to get rid of flies is by making sure your home is clean and free of any sugary substances, rotting meat or other waste. This will involve wiping down surfaces and emptying the bin as often as possible to prevent flies from lingering in your home. "You can also use natural repellents, such as apple cider vinegar, to get rid of flies."
