Why should I avoid using pest poisons in my garden?

Though animals like mosquitos, slugs and snails can be a pain in the garden, pest poisons, such as slug pellets, can harm wildlife other than the pests that you are targeting. For example, when you use slug pellets you are not only poisoning the slugs in your garden, but also the animals who eat the slugs, such as hedgehogs.

Insects are an important part of any garden, as they pollinate your plants and provide food for other animals, like bats and birds.

Instead of using pest poisons, you can:

• Understand the enemy, for example slugs dislike lavender, so planting lavender could be an environmentally friendly way to deter slugs.
• You can also find humane traps on the market which will catch pests without killing them.
• Alternatively, you could encourage other animals into your garden, such as hedgehogs and frogs who would deter garden pests.