This is the month the bugs begin to bite. So what can gardeners do? In Canada east of Manitoba, the political elite has decreed ‘chemical’ pesticides verboten for home gardeners. Elsewhere, others are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the environmental risks posed by the substances. However, bottled ‘natural’ solutions remain available. Prominent amongst these are insecticidal soap and neem oil. While both are less hazardous to beneficial insects, they may still pose a threat, albeit a reduce one. Applying late in the evening when the good guys are less active can lower this still further. Both will have largely degraded by the following morning.
