Pests

nettles

Nettles come in all shapes and sizes however the nettle - despite being a pest - can also prove very useful in the right hands. Some horse owners dry the leaves and use it as a food supplement as it is supposed improve the condition of their coats.

 

The nettle is also used by several butterflies who lay their eggs on it and they then develop into catterpillars who feast on the leaves. The main problem with them is that in order to get rid of them - because they have such a good root system - you either have to spray them with a pesticide or pull them up as they grow. This is a very painful process as despite wearing protective clothing you always seem to get stung and within a few weeks they grow back.

 

The old wive's saying 'cut in June be back soon, cut in July wave them goodbye' is based on fact however has problems. The only reason that it works is that July is the end of the nettle season.

 

If you wait until then to do something about your nettle problem they will have already seeded a new batch so next year you will be facing double the problem.