How to Rid Your Garden of Pests

In nature, there is no such thing as a "pest." All the plant-munching critters in your garden--from the tiniest aphid to the biggest buck deer--are simply going about the business of survival. Normally, natural predators ensure that nobody gets the upper hand. Sometimes, though, the balance gets out of whack, and you need to take action.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

1. Invest in a comprehensive pest- and disease-control manual, and learn how to recognize the "enemy." Many destructive insects look almost identical to beneficial ones, and often what appears to be insect damage is actually a symptom of disease or cultural problems.

2. Compare notes with gardening neighbors; pest problems (and solutions) vary greatly from one part of the country to another.

3. Go cold turkey on pesticides. Along with the pests, they kill off beneficial insects and other pest predators. Often this step alone is enough to solve the problem. If you--or your garden's former owners--have been using pesticides for some time, be patient: It could take a few weeks for the balance to right itself.

4. Use chemical fertilizers sparingly if at all. They provide instant nutrition for plants, but they can destroy important organisms in the soil, including beneficial bacteria and soil-dwelling predators.

5. Improve the health of your soil--and thereby your plants--by adding large helpings of organic matter, especially compost and well-cured manure. (Healthy plants can fend off pests better than sickly ones can.)

6. Diversify your plantings. Most pests (insects and larger critters alike) have definite food preferences. If your garden consists of just a few kinds of plants, it's a prime target for whatever culprits fancy that vegetation. By growing a mixed bag of species and varieties, you lessen the appeal for unwelcome diners.

7. Provide habitats for predators (see Tips). A single toad, frog, bird or bat consumes hundreds of insects a day.

8. In the case of an all-out insect invasion, fight fire with fire. Collect a trowelful of the damage-causing pests, and liquefy them in a blender with 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) water. Strain and dilute with 1 gallon (4 l) water, and pour the juice into a spray bottle. Then take aim and let 'em have it. There are numerous theories as to why this odd-sounding recipe works, but it has proved effective on nearly all insect pests, including beetles, squash and stink bugs, cutworms, armyworms--even slugs (see Warning).

Tips & Warnings

• To get most insects off your plants, dislodge them with a strong spray of water, or handpick and destroy them.
• Toads need shallow water (a low basin sunk into the ground works fine) and shelter such as ground covers, rock piles or a store-bought "toad abode." Frogs prefer small ponds or water gardens. Bat houses are available from garden centers and catalogs.
• Do not use bug juice (see step 8) on mosquitoes, fleas or other blood-sucking insects that transmit disease.