Walking around our Christmas tree fields today was a joy. We regularly walk the Christmas trees to look for pests and diseases and to ensure our trees are growing well. We saw and heard lots of small birds and kestrels, and saw hundreds of swallows catching flies overhead, and we also saw quite a few insects on the ground and in the trees.
Nature always provides a means of keeping a balance and it’s no different in a Christmas Tree field. We actively encourage insects into our Christmas tree fields by planting clover which is a leafy ground cover which helps suppress weeds and offers a home to insects. Ladybirds do a great job at pest control and reduce our reliance on chemicals to control aphids. Ladybirds will consume up to around 50 aphids a day each and their larvae will eat considerably more. Ladybirds represent a very efficient and effective biological pest control method and all aphids are on the menu including blackfly, greenfly and their larvae! This ladybird was on one of our trees. Can you spot the other insect in this picture? Sat next to the ladybird is a Shield Bug. He is well camouflaged!
