Pest Control Advice

All over the country, Australians love their gardens, where they often try to create oases of calm. That is all well and good until your garden is taken over by an infestation of pests. In such situations, you need to be able to cope with them and to take the relevant pest control measures. If you are in any doubt about a creature that has invaded your garden, then seek professional pest control advice. Misidentifying a species of pest can lead to you taking the wrong countermeasure, which may make the problem worse. Indeed, in some cases, it could also mean putting your life in danger, given the venomous nature of many Australian creatures. What are some of the common pests you are likely to find in your garden?

Mealybugs

These insects like sheltered and shaded spots in all sorts of gardens. They will try to take over an area where they can reach food and stay out of the sun. As such, they tend to populate plants that are growing up from a trellis close to a patio or a garden structure, such as a pergola or a shed. Mealybugs will munch their way through any plants that they can consume sap from, so you need to deal with an infestation of them before they take hold over the course of a summer. You can get rid of them by spraying them with a spritz of rubbing alcohol to dry them out, causing them to die.

Citrus Leaf Miners

These creatures will attack any plant that produces fruit, not just citrus ones as you might expect from their name. The insects go through the leaves of fruit-bearing plants and prefer to eat the youngest and tenderest shoots, meaning that you need to look out for them in spring when new growth is trying to become established. Although they don't harm people, you should avoid handling them; spray them with a bottle of soapy water to get rid of them. So your treatment does not dry out too quickly, spray infested areas at twilight.

Carpenter Ants

These ants are a real problem for gardeners who have wooded areas in the vicinity of their home. Native to large parts of the country, they tend to be found in greatest numbers in semi-tropical areas. They are called carpenter ants because they eat their way into living wood, creating holes which can undermine the structure of a tree. As such, you don't want them anywhere near trees that might topple over onto your home. Fortunately, a sugar solution attracts them, so you can use this as an effective bait as long as you also mix it with something that will kill them off, such as boric acid.