Hayley leads the entomology section of the RHS Plant Health team
Entomology is the study of insects, but at the RHS entomology covers pretty much every animal you might encounter in a garden. I lead a team of entomologists and plant health advisors to carry out scientific research, deliver gardening advice and share knowledge on a huge range of garden animal topics. This includes the herbivorous animals that cause gardeners strife and beneficial garden wildlife, with these two categories not being mutually exclusive!
My main topic of interest is the UK’s most persistent – and the RHS Gardening Advice’s most enquired-about animal subject – slugs and snails. My research aims to find effective and environmentally-friendly ways to manage slugs and snails in gardens and ensure we’re providing accurate and useful advice to the gardening public. I also study the diversity of slugs in gardens, and the important roles they play in the garden ecosystem.
The other major part of my job is communicating knowledge and research to RHS members and the gardening public, either face-to-face at shows and events, through the RHS Gardening Advice, or through press interviews.
“It’s quite an experience working with both the oldest problem in the gardening book and some of the newest. It can be challenging trying to piece together knowledge on these animals, but it’s very satisfying completing studies and adding more pieces to the puzzle.”
Our research can very quickly lead to the RHS updating the advice it gives to gardeners. Results from my tests around barriers and management methods for slugs and snails could quickly help update the strategies used in gardens across the country.
Advancement to Principal Entomologist, following success in enhancing and improving Plant Health team processes and activities, including scientific research, Gardening Advice, teaching and outreach during nine years of work at the RHS. Supervised two doctoral students to successful completion theses on topics of high relevance to UK gardens. Additionally five RHS summer student projects including three funded by the Royal Society of Biology Plant Health Undergraduate Studentships programme.. Elected as a trustee of the Royal Entomological Society and chair of their Outreach Committee in 2024. Notable contributions to entomology outreach include developing the ‘Incredible Insects’ badge for youth groups and delivering an ‘Insect Week’ event to around 1,700 RHS Wisley visitors in 2022.
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