Questions tagged [pest-control]

For questions about controlling garden pests. Use this tag with questions about how to keep identified pests at bay. For unidentified pests use the [pest] and [identification] tags. For questions about pesticides use the [pesticide] tag.

Garden pests can include , other invertebrates, mammals, , and domesticated creatures. Although "" indicates that they actively destroy plants and crops, this tag can also be used for (cats/s) that merely cause inconveniences (see example question).

A range of control methods are available including synthetic , organic s, traps, and deterrents. Clearly not all methods are appropriate for all pests or situations, and many methods are illegal for specific pests and jurisdictions.

450 questions
48
votes
11 answers

How do you safely and effectively stop a cat from pooping in your yard?

Our neighbor's cat keeps pooping in our mulch and around our yard. Is there a safe and effective way to stop neighborhood pets from doing so? Has anyone used a method that works well?
taber
  • 641
  • 1
  • 6
  • 5
38
votes
17 answers

What is the best organic way to defeat slugs?

Most of the seedlings I have planted out this year have been eaten by slugs within a day. I have my final two runner bean plants that need to go out. How can I prevent these from being the next feast for the slugs? I don't want to use chemicals so…
Mongus Pong
  • 803
  • 1
  • 7
  • 11
30
votes
3 answers

How do I get rid of white flies on my basil?

I've recently noticed that my basil and other herb plants are infested by tiny white flies. They spread out like snow-flakes when I spray the plants with water, and there are scary looking number of what appear to be the eggs of those flies on the…
Kei
  • 403
  • 1
  • 4
  • 6
30
votes
10 answers

What is the best way to prevent animals from eating my garden without a fence?

We have a raised bed garden that does well for the most part. For aesthetic purposes, my wife will not let me put a fence around the garden. Most of the veggies and herbs do well and do not get eaten by the various critters. But sometimes they…
Mike Ohlsen
  • 745
  • 2
  • 6
  • 11
27
votes
6 answers

What plants will deter mosquitoes?

Does anyone have any plant recommendations that could deter mosquitoes? The location is North Texas, and I am looking for something that could be used on or around the deck. This might make the deck more comfortable in summer, but it may also deter…
winwaed
  • 20,373
  • 4
  • 61
  • 115
27
votes
9 answers

How to keep chipmunks out of my garden?

Forget rabbits, I have a fence around the garden, my real pest problem is chipmunks. I've got a fence, with some below ground barriers, to keep larger pests out and to keep them from digging but the chipmunks still get in. Chicken wire doesn't…
MichaelF
  • 799
  • 3
  • 8
  • 13
27
votes
9 answers

How can I prevent squirrels (or other small mammals) from eating my tomatoes?

Something has been eating my tomatoes just as they begin to ripen. Each day I've been finding one or more tomatoes half-eaten but still attached to the vine. On a couple of days I've also found bits of tomato skin scattered around a wooden chair a…
eipi10
  • 687
  • 2
  • 7
  • 12
25
votes
5 answers

How can I get rid of gophers in a non-lethal way?

Gophers or ground squirrels are common pests in North America, that can destroy the fruits of your hard labour. They create extensive underground tunnels and are mostly active at night. A typical gopher infested yard looks like this with mounds of…
Lorem Ipsum
  • 11,099
  • 7
  • 55
  • 92
24
votes
3 answers

What plants will keep ladybugs happy?

What plants/grasses can I plant to entice the ladybugs in my garden to stay? They are great for controlling aphids, but seem to move on pretty quickly.
kmm
  • 1,605
  • 1
  • 15
  • 21
24
votes
3 answers

Insect infestation on my pepper plant, what do I do?

I have spotted that one - and only one - of my peppers plants has a number of small black flies of some type hanging around the soil. And while writing this I've just spotted that one (and only one!) of the leaves has what I guess might be aphids on…
DMA57361
  • 2,685
  • 4
  • 25
  • 41
22
votes
6 answers

Is there any way to prevent vole lawn-destruction during snow-cover?

The open area behind our back fence is home to hundreds of voles. The hills look like this: During the summer, I can successfully restrict their intrusion into my yard by putting poison into the holes. But, nearly every winter we get significant…
Nicole
  • 1,400
  • 2
  • 14
  • 16
20
votes
6 answers

How to get rid of insects on basil while leaving the leaves safe to eat?

With reference to this question: Insect infestation on my pepper plant, what do I do? I have these insects in my indoor "kitchen window sill" basil and they do seem to be chewing it fast enough to slow new growth, which is annoying. The first…
Lisa
  • 4,912
  • 4
  • 30
  • 45
20
votes
7 answers

How can I get rid of rabbits in my yard?

I have rabbits that routinely build nests in my yard. How can I get rid of the rabbits legally? I don't want some officer from the DNR knocking on my door because I improperly hunted or poisoned them. The rabbits cause several problems: Our dog…
BQ.
  • 913
  • 1
  • 8
  • 12
19
votes
5 answers

How do I prevent parrots from snacking on my fruit trees?

I live in a neighborhood in California that has a number of parrots that, presumably, escaped from captivity sometime ago and have since multiplied in number. They are all the same kind of parrot, these noisy little green guys. In addition to the…
Scott Mitchell
  • 511
  • 5
  • 10
19
votes
14 answers

How do I get rid of pill bugs in my vegetable garden (or is it even the problem)?

I have had multiple plants in my vegetable garden that have seemed to just vanish from the garden over the period of about a week. I have notice pill bugs eating the remains of the plants. They seem to be focused on my lettuce. How can I determine…
Kellenjb
  • 1,262
  • 2
  • 8
  • 23
1
2 3
29 30