pest & disease control
Going green Founder of STV International, Edwin Allingham says the company believes its “been a perfect spring”, with the impact of fair weather and increased outdoor activity on the sell-through and repeat purchase of key consumables, including garden care, bird and animal deterrents, and outdoor insect control. As a supplier looking to remain business savvy during this time, he says: “Experience tells us that at this time of the year we’re best to take nothing for granted, so we will maintain 100% stock availability and a rapid order-to-delivery cycle well into summer, and we have to hope that consumer demand keeps pulling the stocks through and that sales of replenishment stock continues to grow.” The metaldehyde products will be banned
after spring 2020, so many retailers are looking to get rid of that stock in time for the cut-off date which is this month, Edwin says: “The Defenders Slugs Away range is an effective, chemical-free alternative that appeals to gardeners looking for options other than poisonous blue pellets and soil-borne molluscicides. Defenders Slugs Away products are 100% organic and biodegradable – so they’re great for green-finger-friendly gardening and are particularly appealing to younger or novice gardeners.”
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With consumers looking for more eco-friendly
alternatives, Edwin says “it’s a simple fact of life” that as restrictions and bans on the use of traditional chemical controls increase there is a simultaneous and proportional growth in demand for effective, non-chemical alternatives. “That said,” he continues, “the key word in all the above is ‘effective’ and whether it’s weed killers, rodent baits, or insecticides, consumers will only buy what they know works.” Edwin says a lot of companies have been
very conservative about rushing to market with green alternatives to established chemical controls, preferring instead to work to formulate for increased efficacy and reduced levels of active ingredient where possible. “For example,” Edwin says, “The Big Cheese range of rodent baits were formulated using less than half the level of active ingredient in 2018. And yet we still managed to achieve 43% volume growth, and a 100% positive consumer experience. At STV, that’s what we call eco-friendly!”
Deter not death
Another pest people will have to think about are ants. Ants find their way into homes, under patios, pots and plants, and some consumers looking for a deterrent approach to their garden pests.
Nemasys No Ants is a fast, effective and organic ant deterrent which moves the ants away from treated areas. It does so without causing physical harm to the pests compared to hazardous sprays or powder. Business development and key account manager for nematodes, Gavin Wood says: “These nematodes work slightly different from other Nemasys products as they don’t physically kill the ants. When an area is treated, the ants move away from that space as they do not tolerate nematodes near their nests.” He continues: “It is best to apply Nemasys No Ants when ant activity is visible – whether that’s on top of the lawn or around plant pots. To guarantee the best results for lawns, ensure it is moist and the soil temperature is above 10°C. It’s also important to make sure the lawn and the nests do not dry out for at least two weeks after applying nematodes.” Ants and general garden pests are typically a problem wherever they are found, and by not taking any action to move them along, the damage may be too late to recover. Organic gardening has become a key focus this year and gardeners wanting to move pests along without harming them will have more options as the market looks to increase its production and stocking of more eco-friendly products.
GCU June 2019
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