Bug, Slugs,and Other Thugs: Controlling Garden Pests Organically [Paperback]

Straightforward in manner, Hart ( You Can Carve Fantastic Jack-O-Lanterns ) concerns herself here with outdoor pests only (including deer, bears and--a bit cutely--kids). She describes the pest, its habits and life cycle, garden targets and deterrents (barriers, sprays, repellants, traps). There's a chapter on rodents, another on "big game" and one on bugs alone, which includes information on how to cultivate a healthy garden (soil and plants). Also provided is a handy chart of fruits and vegetables and the many and varied insect and non-insect pests that can plague them. A very welcome chapter on birds (the great predators of bugs) and how to attract the right ones, along with beneficial insects, flies and other animals (e.g., ferrets, snakes and toads) enhance this book's usefulness. Illustrations. Rodale's Organic Gardening Book Club main selection, Garden Book Club and Literary Guild alternate selections.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In today's pesticide-conscious world, homeowners frequently are caught in a bind: should they combat pests by adding yet more poison to an already polluted environment or simply tolerate a pest infestation? In fact, neither is necessary because ordinary household materials plus plain common sense and a little ingenuity can perform miracles. Either of the above titles as well as Bernice Lifton's Bug Busters ( LJ 3/15/91) and William Olkowski and others' Common Sense Pest Control ( LJ 5/1/91) can tell you how. The four books share a common theme: insecticide-free pest control that is made possible by first understanding the biology of each pest and then by using simple deterrents and eradication methods, including traps, barriers, baits, and repellents. The books differ in format, style of presentation, and number of pests covered. Bugs, Slugs, & Other Thugs is entirely garden-oriented and covers a wide variety of pests, including nematodes, spider mites, aphids, beetles, bugs, moth larvae, turtles, birds, and a long list of mammals, such as armadillos, bears, and the neighbor's kids. The other three books focus on pests of humans and houses as well as gardens. Of these, Common Sense Pest Control is the most encyclopedic and is the only one to discuss weeds and crop fungi. Bug Busters covers fewer species but outlines the biology of and control methods for the most important pests of humans and homes in step-by-step detail. Tiny Game Hunting is a bargain in spite of its small format (8 x 5). It is written in terse, yet conversational style and covers almost every creature included in the other books, and even has some the others don't.
- Annette Aiello, Smithsonian Tropical Research Inst., Panama
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Bugs, Slugs and Other Thugs They slip through the woods under cover of darkness. They drop from the sky shamelessly in broad daylight. They tunnel furiously through the earth. Their destination: your garden. Year after year, your garden is the target of insects and gophers and birds and slugs seeking a free meal. While you may be willing to share part of the crop, damage sometimes gets out of hand; then it's time to take action. Bugs, Slugs and Other Thugs is for gardeners who've lost more than their fair share of the garden to bad-mannered insect and wildlife pests. It's a practical guide to pest controls that are safe for both the user and the environment. Author Rhonda Hart equips you with information that will help you identify the intruders and then offers a host of practical, environmentally sound solutions to your pest problems. Remedies range from the latest scientific advances to tried-and-true folk remedies that really work: *Interplanting vine crops with corn will keep raccoons away; they dislike the unsure footing. *Clippings of cat or dog hair might be enough to ward off rodents and other pests. *A mulch of eggshells, gravel, or oak leaves sends slugs packing. Consult Bugs, Slugs and Othe Thugs before surrendering antoher season's garden to insect and wildlife pests. A healthy, bountiful harvest can be yours this season.

They slip through the woods under cover of darkness. They drop from the sky shamelessly in broad daylight. They tunnel furiously through the earth. Their destination: your garden. Year after year, your garden is the target of insects and gophers and birds and slugs seeking a free meal. While you may be willing to share part of the crop, damage sometimes gets out of hand; then it's time to take action.

Bugs, Slugs & Other Thugs is for gardeners who've lost more than their fair share of the garden to bad-mannered insect and wildlife pests. It's a practical guide to pest controls that are safe for both the user and the environment.

Author Rhonda Massingham Hart equips you with information that will help you identify the intruders and then offers a host of practical, environmentally sound solutions to your pest problems. Remedies range from the latest scientific advances to tried-and-true folk remedies that really work:
-- Interplanting vine crops with corn will keep raccoons away; they dislike the unsure footing.
-- Clippings of cat or dog hair might be enough to ward off rodents and other pests.
-- A mulch of eggshells, gravel, or oak leaves sends slugs packing.

Consult Bugs, Slugs & Other Thugs before surrendering another season's garden to insect and wildlife pests. A healthy, bountiful harvest can be yours this season.

Rhonda Massingham Hart, a lifelong horsewoman, is the editor of The Gaited Horse, a magazine geared primarily toward trail riders. Rhonda is also a devoted organic gardener. A former nursery proprietor, she lives in Chattaroy, Washington.