Does anyone have any idea when the first biological pest control was introduced in the UK?
I find this subject fascinating and would like to know more!
Thanks in advance!

I think biological pest control was first developed in the 1920's Old Boy but I'm not too sure.
Michael the Gardener

In my back garden I grow an array of fruit and vegetables, however my speciality is growing potatoes. I find this very theraputic and brings me great joy, especially in spring time when the days are getting longer and the birds chirp that little bit louder in anticipation of the warm summer days to come.
However, when it comes to digging up my prize spuds, my joy, more often than not, turns to horror. My precious spuds seem to be riddled with holes, is this the work of moles, weevils, maggots or the dreaded dung beetle? I would greatly appreciate any assistance you could offer!

Yours

Alice Trubber

My raspberries are suffering from attack by bluebottles. They sit on the berries and suck out the juice creating small holes. Has anyone else suffered this problem and found a solution?

I was interested to here of the fate of your runner beans because my french beans suffered exactly the same damage... and the salsify, celeriac, beetroot and just about everything except parsnips and courgettes. I was desperate!

As my carrots were only damaged when the wind blew my carrot fly protection off we deduced that the Beast would not pass through fleece. At one time my vegetable plot looked like a temporary morgue with white sheeting everywhere. Then I realised that it was not necessary to cover crops, a low fence round them, securely pinned to the ground, would do the trick. I made fences from strips of enviromesh with channels of old sheeting into which I inserted short canes.

My later sowings are thriving, though it remains to be seen if the autumn is mild enough to allow crops to mature. So what does it? a rabbit would easily hop over the fences, and a mouse would chew its way through in no time, so our chief suspect is...

Voles.

I shall need to get some more environmesh for next season.

ionolsen22 Best site I see. Thanks.