Banquet - Natural pest control for vegetable crops
A special blend of flowering annuals that create an environment proven to draw pests away from your produce and attract predators to the potential feast.
As with all our blends the ratio of each floral species has been carefully balanced to ensure maximum effect. This vibrant colourful display also contains many varieties from the RHS 'perfect for pollinators' listing.
Sowing
Sow in early spring to get a head start on the pests. Can be sown directly - near to your crop beds, or in planters that can be moved around in line with where your pest population is most prolific.
How does it work?
Everything living needs nutrition, and will seek it out using certain cues.
We have used the known visual, sensory and instinctual feeding cues of pests and their predators to put together a floral blend of natures best attractors to establish a haven for pests - away from your veg.
Predators first identify the area as a hunting ground using Banquets visual cues, then home in on the pests by sensing the pheromones that they emit.
The increased predator activity in the area naturally decreases pest numbers, which in turn reduces the pest damage to your vegetable crops.
Predators Attracted
Hoverfly Larvae
Hoverfly larvae are voracious aphid-feeders, feeding on a wide range of species. The adults are also prolific pollinators second only to solitary bees.
Lacewings
Don’t be fooled by the delicate look: They are ferocious predators, especially in the larval stages, and they're also great pollinators.
Ladybirds
Adults can eat their way through over 5000 aphids in a season.. Their larvae do a great job too. Adults snack on nectar, making them a great pollinator as well as a top pest predator
Parasitic Wasps
Laying their eggs inside the cabbage white caterpillar spells a grusome end for this pest. Adukts feed on nectar, making them a good pollinator as well as excellent pest controllers.
Blend Species
Cornflower (blue)
Corncockle (purple)
Black Medick (yellow)
Corn Poppy (red)
Chamomile (white)
Corn Marigold (yellow)
Feverfew (white)
Dwarf Dill (yellow)
Dwarf Angelica (cream)
Californian Poppy (orange)