At our May Zoom meeting, we welcomed back Dr Ian Bedford, a retired research entomologist who had been Head of Entomology at the famous John Innes Centre in Norwich. He gave a really interesting talk helping us to recognise the good and bad bugs that we often find in our gardens and what we should do with them. A fascinating insight into the bugs we should control and those that we should we look after. With a wonderful slide presentation and an excellent commentary, Ian explained that, as gardeners, we should be aiming to maintain a balance between pests such as slugs and the wildlife that feed on them. The use of pesticides that harm beneficial insects such as bees should be avoided and he gave us tips on harmless methods of control, which included going out in the dark with a torch to look for snails and slugs! With the increased interest in gardening and the large number of plants being imported into garden centres from abroad, there is a greater risk of the introduction of invasive species such as the Spanish slug. After his talk, Ian answered members’ questions about pest problems in their gardens. A superb talk by an expert speaker.
