Garden Pest Prevention Checklist

Install a Toad "Pest Prevention Force"

• Toads will Police your PestsToads feed on ;mosquitoes, flies, worms and other insects and are an added advantage to any garden.
• Attract Toads with a New HomeBuild a toad home on about a square foot of earth. The area should be soft, moist, with minimal wind.
• Protect them from PredatorsMake a cave-like haven for your toads in a broken flowerpot, or by using flat stones or bricks. You can also buy a toad home at your local garden supply store.

Prevent Tics

• Cut grass shortKeep grass ;around ;1-3 inches and trim regularly.
• Remove tic-attracting ;foliageThis includes dense greenery like heavily sprouting bushes, leaves and vines.
• Discard plant and grass trimmings, twigs, branches and woodchips.

Prevent Slugs

• Give them some AleThe only thing slugs love more than your garden plants is beer. Place a cup of beer next your plants and the slugs will opt for ale over kale. The result may not be pretty, but it does the trick.

Prevent Moles

• Eliminate Mole Food SourcesMoles feast on insect larvae, invertebrates, earthworms, centipedes and other small insects. Luckily your toad patrol should take care of most of the problem.
• Install a Vibrating Mole Repellant DeviceThis nifty gadget directs moles away from your garden with sound waves.
• Plant Repellents;Moles won't burrow under Marigolds, Fritillaria, Euphorbia or castor beans. Plant around your yard or garden as a green border to keep moles out.

Prevent Deer, Rabbits, and Other Animals

• Fence out Smaller PestsInstall a chickenwire or mesh fence to help keep out rabbits and skunks.
• Clean UpEnsure the area is clean of woodpiles, bird's nests, and yard clippings. All of these garden messes attract rodents and insects.
• Spice it UpSpray plants with a mixture of water and ;Cayenne ;pepper. This will keep rabbits, skunks, and deer from munching on your greens.
• Unpalatable PlantsLike moles, Deer don't care for marigolds. They also don't like certain herbs such as sage, oregano and thyme, and won't eat pansy, lily of the valley, monkshood, poppy, daffodil, or hyacinth.