'I'm a gardening expert and not doing this one thing could host you hundreds of pounds'

While falling fruit is a normal sign of summer coming to a close, an expert warns that failing to pick up the natural debris could actually end up costing you hundreds.

Fruit trees, particularly apple and pear trees, are a staple addition in millions of gardens. However, the one downside is that as their fruit ripens and falls it can end up leaving a sticky, sugary mess, which can lead to all kinds of problems that come with potentially expensive consequences.

According to an expert, failing to pick up fallen fruits early autumn can lead to a host of garden-related issues such as attracting pests and ruining your grass – which can potentially cost you hundreds of pounds.

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Expert gardener James Lewis from MyBuilder.com warned: "Gardens can be a lot of work in summer when plants and lawns are growing fast and you’re watering often. So it’s understandable that people may neglect to collect fallen fruit when it seems like an unnecessary job.

"However, it’s actually vital to remove rotting fruits. They can attract not only wasps and hornets, but also rats. This could lead to having pest control in - not a cheap job. It can also lead to plants self-seeding, and saplings can spring up all over your lawn.

"So don’t neglect this job - pick up daily if you can and dispose of your fruit if you can’t make use of it."

While some of the issues that come from rotting fruit – like unpleasant smells – may be merely annoying, others could actually cause serious damage that could need professional intervention.

Rotting fruit can attract pests like wasps, bees and insects, which can lead to stings and bites. Worse still, it can also encourage a rat infestation, which can cost over £100 to deal with.

Decomposing fruit is also a breeding ground for many bacteria and fungi, which can spread to the tree itself if left alone. According to the expert, if your tree becomes diseased and needs removal, the costs can be more than £200.

The fruit can also ruin your grass, as it blocks sunlight and adds extra weight and pressure to the grass blades. In some cases, this can even cause patches of your lawn to die. Plus, it can also encourage weed growth.

The best way to avoid these serious issues is by swiftly collecting and removing the fallen fruit. Ideally, fallen fruits should be picked up before the rotting process begins. Particularly in hot weather, fallen fruit can begin to rot within hours, attracting wasps and other pests.

Worse still, once fruit has been left to decompose for about 2 to 3 days, seeds can spread into other areas of your garden, leading to new unwanted seedlings growing. If you have a large tree or yield, the fallen fruit can also kill off the grass underneath it within a few days, leading to patchy brown areas.