It turns out the pesky rodent was a rat so no wonder it able to jump the mouse trap. After aa obstacle race around the living room Brocky finally managed to get it. What a relief. Clary stayed in bed and the cats did nothing.

The pukekos managed to get under the bird net and sabotage my sweet pea seedlings. I have now pegged it down but I noticed I had also trapped a cabbage white butterfly which will probably lay hundreds of eggs …..

And I had to soak a brocciflower in salt water overnight to successfully drown some large slimy brown beetles.

I bought a book on insect pests which has graphic pictures of their life cycle and the damage they do but no suggestions about how to deal with them.