Natural Pest Control

Mother Nature has her own ways of maintaining the balance. One of her intrepid warriors is this centipede. Although hounded by humans, the centipede does an efficient job in controlling the slugs and snails in the garden.

The baby African Snail is as voracious an eater as its parents. It has already decimated my spider lilies.

There are some plants , like the Golden Zebra plant Sanchezia speciosa which has found its own defence mechanisms. Two years ago when the African Snail infestation was at its height in my suburb, I feared for the Sanchezia, which was attacked day and night by monstrous snails. But I don't know what chemical it has manufactured now, it is no longer palatable to the snails.

The Heliconium is not so clever. Its leaves get eaten by the hiding snails during the night.

I am not much bothered about the snails now, because it has its own natural predators which keep it in control.