If you are having trouble with potato beetles eating your potato plants, try putting a light dusting of powdered limestone on them.  Use the kind that you would put on your lawn to balance the pH level.  The limestone should be applied before any eggs are hatched.  It seems the newly hatched bugs do not like eating the "gritty" leaves.  Seems to work for us and better yet, it is not toxic to us humans!

Jacob Penney

Sometimes it's impossible to kill every mound of FIRE ANTS that crop up in or near the garden, and we'd rather avoid using too much insecticide near our veggies.  I had a problem when these critters decided that they loved my okra.  They climbed up the stems, attacked the pods, and ambushed my tender fingers!  But, I found that coating the stem with solid shortening (aka Crisco) did the trick. A band about an inch wide, about a foot up the stem, deterred the ants and did not seem to bother the okra plant.  Safe picking, and no more damaged pods!

Nova Lene

This tip is simple and easy. I have always had trouble with squirrels pulling my pansies out of the ground or pots. After trying numerous ideas I decided to try putting moth balls around them and it works. I find that most often I only have to do this once a season. The rain does make them smaller over time but they still emit an odor. It does not seem to matter if they are placed under or on top of the mulch.

Teri Wilson

I suggest that when you add parks plant food to the water used to start seeds, you also add a drop or two of liquid dishwasher detergent per quart. Not only do you make the water "wetter", you also kill off any stray bugs that may exist in your setup!

Jim Munion

This spring I was out early almost every morning, and was amazed at the huge numbers of slugs that seemed to be taking over. We've got dogs and setting out slug and snail bait didn't seem like a smart thing to do - and with the amount of yard we'd need A LOT. I started doing some research, and found a natural way to start taking care of our slug population. I went out and bought 3 chicks (Barred Rock) to free range the yard. Once they were grown they were given access to the yards, and they hunt up slugs and all sorts of nasty bugs. The slugs are finally not taking over the yard, earwigs are getting fewer, and we've got the added benefit of fertilizer and fresh brown eggs!

Cathy Terv

For years we did not get to harvest any cherries, and very few strawberries, because the birds beat us to them. I thought of this idea and it works. I take the plastic grocery bags and cut big holes in the bottom and pull the bag through the open handle of the bag and around a limb of the cherry tree. I also put the grocery bag with holes in the bottom on a 4 foot bamboo stick and put the stick in the strawberry row. The holes let the rain out of the bag and make it light enough to blow in the wind. This keeps the birds from eating our fruit. Try it...It works!

Jean K. Shenk

One of the simplest things I do to keep the birds from eating my ripe fruit on the trees, as well as the grapes and strawberries, is to put pinwheels in the tree and around the grapes and strawberry beds. They move, make noise, and reflect the sun. This has worked for us almost 100%. And the pinwheels are as cheap as fifty cents each.

Thomas J. Wenzel

I cut several inches off a plastic drinking straw and slit it up the side, then put it around my tomato plant stems when I set my transplants. I bury a little under the soil, this keeps the cut worms from cutting the tender stem. When the tomato stem grows large enough the straw expands with the stem. I haven't lost a plant since doing this.

Barbara Ray