Question: Tips for bugs and pests

Does anyone have any suggestions for what seems to be a bug problem- the bugs have not been seen as they are probably doing the damage at night but the leaves of the various plants have holes all over them.

Answer: The best thing to do is try and determine which type of pest you have. If there is no sign of the perpetrator during the day then one possibility is that you may have slugs. Slugs are lovely creatures but sure love to feast on all sorts of plants. To rid your garden of slugs there are a few different techniques you can use. 

1. The most humane way to treat slugs is to catch them in the act, hand pick them and relocate to another feeding ground outside of the garden. This can be difficult at a school garden as slugs feed at night and during the early morning hours to avoid the hot sun. If visiting the garden during slug feeding times isn't an option you can also try to find their day time resting place - you'll likely find them tucked away in a damp and shady spot in the garden. If you find their resting space thin out the plant matter to make a less hospitable home
2. Another strategy is to lay down crushed egg shells or diatomaceous earth (fossilized remains of hard shelled algae available at many garden centres) around the plants that are being affected - the sharp edges on both cut the slugs and cause them to dry out
3. A final strategy to employ is to bury a shallow dish or tupperware container in the garden and fill with beer - the slugs are attracted to the yeast and will drown 

If it's not slugs that are your problem some other common leaf eaters include aphids, colorado potato beetle and caterpillars.

• Aphids can often be found feeding on the underside of leaves. There are thousands of varieties of aphids in different colours including green, orange, brown and yellow. A great way to get rid of them is to release lady bugs into your garden. Bags of lady bugs can be order and shipped to your home. As a long term strategy you can plant daisies and other flowers which will attract lady bugs to your garden but as a quick fix you can wash and spray leaves with a solution of garlic, dish soap, and mineral water. There are many different recipes for sprays available online. For two sample recipes click on the heading above and always remember to limit your spray to the infected areas as pesticides will also impact beneficial insects. 
  
• Colorado Potato Beetles love potatoes but they'll also munch on eggplants, tomatoes and peppers - I haven't had much direct experience with CPB's but some strategies that can be used include planting nasturtiums and cilantro in and around the affected plants, using a cayenne pepper spray or go straight to the source and hand picking the beetles and their eggs and larvae.