If you grow nectar-bearing plants they will attract insects such as hoverflies and ladybirds that help control aphids. Avoid planting large numbers of the same plant together, especially vegetables, as this helps pests spread.

Mechanical controls
Always examine new plants carefully - they can bring new pests into your garden.
Examine your garden regularly to reveal pest attacks that can be halted before they become a major problem. Spotting and squashing aphid attacks on new growth can prevent massive numbers of greenfly in future. The same applies to moth and butterfly eggs which soon develop into caterpillars. If numbers are too high for this approach, try washing off pests with jets of water.

Use mechanical barriers and traps - such as codling moth phenemone traps on apples. Fleece will stop almost all flying insect pests taking hold. Slug traps will help control one of the worst plant pests. See Organic Gardening for more tips on controlling pests.

Chemical controls
Using chemicals to control pests should always be a last resort and then should only be used infrequently, never used widespread over your garden. Think twice before using chemicals on crops that will eventually be eaten. Never use old chemicals - they will have been withdrawn from sale for good reasons!