Yes that’s right, I deliberately put Honeybee in the middle of the garden bed that she isn’t normally welcomed into. There is method to my madness, I’m encouraging her to fossick about and find those slugs that have moved in and the grubs that have recently hatched and making a right mess of our brassica leaves. The white cabbage moths were brutal this year and the eggs they laid have hatched and are bright green and hungry!

We supervise Honeybee when doing this. I know that I will loose some leaves when she eats them but I consider it payment for her pest removal service. I’m not worried about her trampling anything and squashing young seedlings, she is only let in when everything is a bit bigger than seedling stage.

Funny enough, Honeybee doesn’t seem to touch the bigger leaves, she might take a bite out of the odd big leaf but  is more focused on the slugs, snails and grubs.

The very little damage Honeybee does do is so minor compared to letting the slugs and grubs take over.

It isn’t a traditional approach but something that works far better for us then spraying everything with pesticide.

This system also works for us because Honeybee has been with us since she hatched, she is used to us and does understand commands from us (which I think she learnt from observing us with Ebb the Spoodle and then Bluebell the Spoodle.) Honeybee understands the commands No, Leave it, This way and Duckling, which means that I want her attention and have something for her. She also understands when she is in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that is part of her charm and she gets away with it.

Happy Gardening,

from Jude and Honeybee xx