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Insects and Other Visitors

Shothole Borer Beetle – an Ecological Tragedy Gogga of the Month Shot Hole Borer Beetle

Life is a Garden has some essential information to share this month. The shot hole borer beetle, known also as Euwallacea fornicates, is a huge threat to South African biodiversity and our gardens are certainly no exception.
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Mushrooms

All about mushrooms

Mushrooms are not just toadstools from our fairy-tale books. As fungi, mushrooms are biologically distinct from any other food groups we all know.
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Eco warrior

Eco-Warriors: Love them Lizards Love them Lizards

Have no fear! Lizards are friends to the garden bringing gifts of goodwill with them.
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Dragonflies in the garden Eco Warriors Dragonflies

You know summer’s in swing when the dragonflies come out to play! These glorious goggas are in fact not dangerous at all and are actually superb pest controllers with a most captivating twist.
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Life_is_a_Garden_OCTBeeFriendly-Cover

A Bee-Friendly Backyard

This month, Life is a Garden is taking part in the important global conversation about the need for urgent bee conservation.
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Friendly Frogs Gogga of the Month September

Did you know? Frogs in the garden are fantastic solutions for insect control and are actually a sign that your backyard ecosystem is well balanced.
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scale on aloes

Scale on Aloes White scale invasion on Aloes

White Aloe Scale is a pesky and resilient species of armoured scale insect.
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Gogga of the Month – Spiders This month, we’re all about celebrating spiders!

This month, we’re all about celebrating spiders! When we think about these little arachnids in our homes, some of us tend to resort to certain squishing tendencies.
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Cypress Aphids Gogga of the Month

The Cypress Aphid is a sap-sucking insect that infests the stems of some hedging conifers in early summer.
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Earthworms our ‘green’ heroes Gogga of the Month

This month we are celebrating the slimy, yet satisfying, work of the earthworms in our garden!
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Red Spider Mites Gogga of the Month

Summer is in full swing and the intense heat combined with the under-watering of certain plants, (like roses), are ideal conditions for Red Spider Mites (Tetranychus urticae).
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Leaf Miner Gogga of the Month

Leaf Miners are the larval (maggot) stage of an insect family that feeds between the upper and lower surfaces of leaves.
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Pesky Psylla Gogga of the Month

Citrus trees provide a bounty of health benefits as well as beautiful sweet-smelling flowers, that compliment your garden space be it small or big.
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Be aware of the Christmas/Brown Beetle Gogga of the Month

Christmas beetles are seasonal and are generally active during the warmer months, especially during the festive season.
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Steer clear of Whiteflies Gogga of the Month

Whiteflies can be a menace in the garden. These flies are close relatives to aphids, they are both sap-sucking insects.
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False Codling Moths Gogga of the Month

This month’s gogga of the month is the infamous False Codling Moth or Thaumatotibia (Crytoplebia) leucotreta.
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White Grubs destroying​ your lawn?

Grubs live in the root systems of plants and cause severe damage over a short period.
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Harvester Termites causing havoc in your lawn?

Termites are some of the most destructive lawn pests that you may find in your garden.
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Rust on plants

Rust disease is caused by a fungal parasite that needs living plants to survive.
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How to deal with scale on indoor plants

Tan or brown oval insects with a hard shell can sometimes infect the stems and undersides of the leaves of indoor plants.
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