Latest news with #pests
The Sun
18 hours ago
- General
- The Sun
Gardening pro reveals three household items that will keep pests away – and one is lurking in your food bin
SPENDING more time outside as the weather warms up is one of the best parts of summer. But as the sun comes out, so do common garden pests. 2 2 That doesn't mean you have to stay inside though, and it definitely doesn't mean your plants need to suffer. The gardening experts at Yel l have put together their top tips for deterring common garden pests that can appear all year round - and they're easier than you might think. Use garlic to keep green flies off your plants Green and black flies, commonly known as aphids in the gardening world, can be found on both indoor and outdoor plants. While a few aphids may not cause significant damage, large numbers crawling on stems or a sticky residue left on your plants could indicate a problem. Garlic contains allicin, a sulphur compound that repels insects and may also act as a natural antifungal agent. If you'd prefer not to have the smell of garlic in your garden, you can mix a few drops of washing-up liquid with water in a spray bottle and apply it to affected plants. This can help remove and deter aphids effectively. Aphids are also drawn to nitrogen-rich fertilisers, so it's important not to over-fertilise your plants, as this can make them more attractive to these pests. Use cupboard staples to get rid of garden ants If ants are causing problems in your garden or finding their way into your home, some of the best natural deterrents involve strong citrus scents Lemon is a particularly effective method; you can mix lemon juice with water and spray it around ant trails to keep them away. My 3 favorite plants to repel pests from your vegetable garden - they're pretty and will increase your harvest too Another scent they dislike is peppermint oil, which can be used in a similar way by mixing a few drops with water and spraying affected areas. Other common household staples like vinegar, sugar, and baking soda can also be useful when tackling ants in the garden. Mixing equal parts of vinegar and water creates a natural repellent. Coffee grounds and eggshells could help keep slugs away from plants While snails and slugs are common in gardens across the UK, they can cause significant damage to garden plants. Slug pellets are not recommended, as they can be harmful to other wildlife in your garden. Although manually searching for and removing slugs is effective, it can be time-consuming. You could consider planting flowers that slugs tend to avoid, such as foxgloves, geraniums, and lavender, all of which are thought to be less attractive to slugs. Other deterrent methods include adding crushed eggshells, copper tape, or coffee grounds around your plants to act as a barrier. Coffee also contains nutrients beneficial to soil health, making it a dual-purpose solution. To protect specific plants, place eggshells around the base of the plant's soil to prevent slugs from reaching the leaves. Natural ways to deter rats from your garden, including citronella oil and onions Essential oils like citronella and eucalyptus are also effective. You can use outdoor citronella candles, or soak cotton wool balls or tissues in the oils and place them around the garden. Alternatively, mix the oils with water and spray them in areas where rodents are likely to appear. Other strong-smelling food items that rats typically avoid include onions, garlic, and vinegar. The smell is thought to be off-putting to them. You can place small quantities of these in areas across your garden. Onions, in particular, contain sulphur compounds that can irritate a rat's eyes and nose. While it's unlikely a rat would consume a large amount, large quantities can be toxic if digested, so it's safest to use small slices around your garden. IF you want to ensure that your home is pest free this summer, here's what you need to know. Hornets and wasps - hate the smell of peppermint oil so spraying this liberally around your patio or balcony can help to keep them at bay. Moths - acidic household white vinegar is effective for deterring moths. Soak some kitchen roll in vinegar and leave it in your wardrobe as a deterrent. Flying ants - herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, mint, chilli pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, or garlic act as deterrents. Mosquitoes - plants, herbs and essential oil fragrances can help deter mozzies inside and out. Try eucalyptus, lavender and lemongrass.
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Bedbugs have been bothering humans since caveman times, study finds
A new study suggests bedbugs may have been bothering humans for about 60,000 years, with their populations booming as people formed the first cities. The research, published in Biology Letters, examined bedbug genetics and found two lineages: one that stayed on bats and one that targeted humans. As humans built early cities like Mesopotamia around 12,000 years ago, bedbug populations thrived, making them one of the first human pests. Professor Warren Booth notes that humans likely carried bedbugs from caves when they moved out around 60,000 years ago, resulting in less genetic diversity in the human-associated lineage. Bedbug infestations saw a dramatic 35 per cent increase between 2022 and 2024, highlighting their resurgence after near-eradication due to the chemical DDT.
The Sun
5 days ago
- General
- The Sun
The 8 hidden garden problems in that could be pointing to a MUCH bigger issue & it's bad news if yours has a weird smell
PATCHY lawns and annoying pests are just two of the problems you might encounter in your garden. But did you know there's a whole host of hidden ones that could be pointing to a much bigger issue in yours? 3 3 According to a gardening expert, one of the biggest signs is a weird smell in your green space - which could be an indicator of decay in your flowerbeds. "A strange smell in your garden can easily be overlooked but is a huge red flag as foul odours may indicate root rot or bacterial infections in your plants," Fiona Jenkins at explained. If you get a whiff of anything unusual in the garden, you should examine your plants for "any signs of disease or decay". "Addressing the root cause is crucial to preventing the problem from worsening, and your gardening habits may need adjusting," Fiona explained. Remove any decayed material, and use "appropriate treatments to stop the spread of infection". "Sometimes, plants may give off a natural scent, but you can never be too careful, and it is important to ensure that it is not indicative of a problem," Fiona concluded. Another sign of a hidden problem in your garden to look out for is yellowing leaves, as it's "an indicator of improper watering or nutrient deficiencies". "Overwatering can suffocate roots while underwatering dehydrates them, both leading to yellow leaves," Fiona said. "A lack of essential nutrients can also lie at the heart of the discolouration issue." To address the problem, have a look at your watering schedule - it might be that it "needs some simple tweaks". B&M launches their children's outdoor range which is perfect for summer - there's a £2 bargain that'll easily keep the kids entertained "If this doesn't solve the problem, it may be worth conducting a soil test to see what nutrients your plants are missing and invest in a good quality fertiliser to restore them to full health," she advised. A similar issue is pointed out by discoloured flowers, which can show that they are "in distress". "Environmental factors such as extreme heat or cold can cause discolouration, as can nutrient imbalances," Fiona said. "Start by evaluating the conditions – it may be as simple as adjusting sunlight exposure or providing more shade to the area. "A soil test will reveal any nutrient deficiencies, which can then be addressed with the right fertilisers to restore vitality." Japanese Knotweed, mould and mildew and annoying pests such as caterpillars and fruit flies can point to a bigger garden problem, as well as plants' stunted growth. The 8 hidden problems that could be pointing to a bigger issue in your garden GARDENING expert Fiona Jenkins at shares the early warning signs to look out in your garden for before the minor issues turn into major ones and prevent yours from thriving. This can indicate a root problem, which you can test for by "gently checking" the root. "Healthy roots should be white and firm," Fiona noted. "If rot is present, reduce your watering schedule and improve soil drainage as well as regularly inspecting for pests that may be targeting the roots. "By maintaining root health, you are ensuring that your plants have a strong foundation to support their growth." And lastly - one of the most obvious problems few gardens avoid - weeds. "Like many other garden plants, weeds thrive in the warm summer weather and could be taking away essential sunlight, water and nutrients from your beautiful summer flowers," Fiona said. "Applying a deep layer of mulch to your soil during the spring months can suppress weed growth by blocking sunlight and conserving soil moisture. "If you do see any weeds start to sprout, remove them promptly by hand, pulling them out or using garden tools to ensure that they do not regrow." 3
The Sun
5 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Stone age bed bugs were humanity's first pests, scientists reveal
STONE Age people had a far more troublesome enemy than sabre-tooth tigers — bed bugs. Their first settlements — like Fred Flinstone's fictional home of Bedrock — would have been crawling with the blood-suckers. 2 The bugs' numbers exploded when humans moved out of caves, making them the first household pests, researchers say. In the study, DNA analysis was used to trace back the species found in homes today to those feeding off cave dwellers. Cimex lectularius was found to have had a 'close relationship' with humans for 50,000 years. The team from Virginia Tech University in the US confirmed the bugs first lived on bats before some switched to Stone Age humans in caves. But the population took off only 13,000 years ago — when people quit cave life and began farming and building settlements While its numbers rocketed, the bat bed bug species fell away. Researcher Dr Linsday Miles said: 'Both populations saw a general decline that is consistent with the last ice age. 'The bat-associated lineage never bounced back and it is still decreasing in size. 'The really exciting part is that the human-associated lineage did recover and their population increased.' The researchers say bed bugs, which live in furniture and bite to feed on blood, predate rats and even cockroaches as domestic pests. Rats moved in to homes 2,000 years ago, and cockroaches 5,000 years ago. 2
CNET
6 days ago
- General
- CNET
This Tweezer-Free Removal Hack Saved Me During Tick Season
Sunny weather is finally here, but this also means tick season has begun. It's time to check yourself and your pets for these major pests. On top of being nuisance, these small insects carry a variety of diseases. Tick bites can cause Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, allergies to red meat and Powassan virus. These diseases can cause a variety of short and long-term problems, and even death in some cases. Depending on where you live, you'll need to watch out for ticks after spending time outdoors until the late fall. Different types of ticks are more common in different regions and carry different diseases -- so finding them and removing them safely are crucial. Accidentally breaking off part of the tick while trying to remove it is also a problem, as it can still transmit its illness. CNET The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using fine-tipped tweezers for removing ticks. But what if you don't have any handy? I discovered a little-known tip some years ago, and it forever changed how I remove the little biters. Here's how to remove ticks quickly, easily and safely -- if you don't have or can't find tweezers. This easy cotton swab trick will remove a tick quickly Don't have tweezers? Remove a tick with a cotton swab instead. Suchart Doyemah/EyeEm/Getty Images Other, older methods for removing ticks have been debunked for one of a few reasons. Either they induced the tick to detach with time -- whereas you should remove ticks immediately to minimize chances of disease transmission -- or they risked injuring the person or animal getting bitten by the tick. (Fire burns skin as well as ticks, after all.) But this method is quick and harmless. All you need is a cotton swab. When you locate an attached tick, immediately grab a cotton swab, and gently twirl tight circles around the wound, lightly pulling at the tick. The goal here is not to pull the tick free, but to cause it to release and latch onto the swab. It should happen within moments. I've removed many ticks this way, and it is invariably quick and painless. What's more, you have virtually no risk of leaving mouth pieces in the wound, since the tick detaches itself. And if something goes wrong, you can always still run out to the store and get some tweezers, as the CDC recommends. Once you dispose of the tick, you can clean the bite with soap and water or alcohol. And if you're worried about disease transmission, follow up with these steps. For other helpful tips related to the outdoors, here's what you should know about poisonous flowers and plants in your backyard and five lawn mowing mistakes that are easy to fix. More healthy home hacks to try
