Pesticides in the garden – Try to avoid using pesticides if you can

 
Any one that has a garden knows that you will always have unwanted visitors, from snails and slugs chomping on  fresh new growth to aphids and blackfly infesting our roses and vegetables. As we are becoming more aware of the long term effects of chemicals on the environment we need to start looking at different methods to control these pests,
Here are a few tips that may help.
Identify what the problem is, it’s far easier to find a solution if you know what you are dealing with.
Try to avoid using pesticides if you can.
There are lots of methods you can use to deter and get rid of pests in your garden,start with  good housekeeping, keeping your garden clean and tidy and allowing enough space for plants to grow in an area that is suited for them will give stronger plants that will be less likely to be attacked by pests, ensure that pruning, feeding and watering is carried out at the right times and that this done correctly, this will keep plants healthy, any pests can be removed by hand or even blasted off with the hose pipe (taking care not to damage the actual plant).
Use a biological control, this means introducing natural predators in your garden that will go after pests, these work really well for aphids, mealybug and slugs.
If you really need to use a pesticide, only use new products and only buy as much as you will need. Make sure you follow the instructions to minimise environmental damage and as with any chemical always store in its original container out of reach of children.
When using pesticides use correct equipment, don’t use more than recommended as it’s not going to work any faster and may cause damage to your plants and surrounding areas.  Don’t spray on windy days as the chemicals can be carried onto other plants and into water and this can be harmful to animals and birds.
When you have finished make sure you rinse everything thoroughly, do not dispose of this into the drain as it can affect the water supply, simply pour your rinsings onto the taea you treated.
You can dispose of old pesticides at a local recycling centre and empty well rinsed ready to use containers can be recycled, and concentrate containers  can be put in normal domestic waste.
Have a go with the non chemical treatment for pests and see what works best for you not only will you save money you will help to save the environment too.