Green-fingered Brits who have been hard at work with garden tools over the course of 2011 may have had more than one encounter with any number of pests.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has released the top ten species it received the most enquiries about over the past 12 months.
Slugs and snails topped the list once again after losing out on the highest rank to the viburnum beetle in 2010.
Damage is caused to a wide range of plants by these creatures, so the gardening charity said it is not surprised this is the case.
Salt spreaders may be of use to those with large patches of land who find they have been overrun by the molluscs.
However, of particular note in the 2011 list is the presence of two new entrants, including the fuchsia gall mite, which was not known to exist in the UK prior to 2007.
A sample of the species was sent to the RHS for identification from a Hampshire garden.
It has since been widely established the microscopic mites are impacting the growth of fuchsias and migrating north after establishing themselves along the south coast.
One unusual animal that did not make the list, but was a cause of concern for many, were moles.
Lincoln-based mole-catcher Michelle Cassidy told local newspaper the Lincoln Echo the trend was a national problem for everyone in the UK during the hot Indian summer.
However, spokeswoman for the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Rachel Shaw warned against labelling the little creatures as pests too readily, as this may be unnecessarily damaging.
“People think therefore we should kill them. People should consider deterrents before they call a pest controller,” she suggested.
Nonetheless, anyone whose garden has been overturned by a surge of molehills could address the issue with a lawn roller.
