16
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Is it a good idea and how to introduce frogs in my garden?
Perhaps the first question to ask is "Is this property suitable for frogs?" and following on from that "If it is, why are there not frogs here already?"
I have many, many frogs on ...
- 18.8k
15
votes
How to rid a colony of ants from my yard
You can't get rid of them, if you like it or not: they are part of your garden.
If the ants come close to or even in your house, you can try to control them with some poison. But get rid of them ...
- 12.8k
13
votes
Accepted
Is this an ant colony on this fig tree?
You've got a bad infestation of fig wax scale. The ants are there for the honeydew, and are ant-farming.
You want to get rid of the scale, they're basically living off of your plant, using up ...
- 51.5k
13
votes
Rat proofing compost bin but allowing worms in
30 cm is absolutely not deep enough to deter the rats. They easily dig that deep to get to food. Regular Chicken Wire is neither strong enough or is woven small enough to keep them out. Try to google "...
- 231
12
votes
Accepted
Will diatomaceous earth hurt the earthworms in my garden
It appears that earthworms will not be harmed by it. "Diatomaceous Earth will not harm warm-blooded animals or earthworms
Earthworm farmers use it to treat their worm beds for parasites, fungus gnat ...
- 236
12
votes
How do I identify and control spider mites
How to check for spider mites.
Spider mites live on the underside of leaves, and are reddish brown or pale in color, oval-shaped, and very small.
Obvious signs of infection are white webbing, yellow ...
- 605
12
votes
Can Marigold flowers keep animals away?
Many people plant marigolds (Calendula officinalis, not the French marigold, Tagetes) as a 'trap' crop, but the 'trap' attracts aphids, particularly blackfly. The theory is, if the blackfly inhabit ...
- 129k
12
votes
Keeping rats from eating my plants
I'd be very surprised if its actually rats eating your plants - rats will eat almost anything, but plants would be the last thing on the list, unless its a fruiting vegetable plant such as corn. You ...
- 129k
11
votes
Accepted
How can I discourage venomous snakes from living in my property?
Snakes generally hang out where they can find food and shelter. To discourage them, you need to remove both incentives. Blocking out the porch is a good first step. You also need to remove any ...
- 7,707
10
votes
Accepted
Which spiders should I allow in my garden?
Most spiders are friends to your garden, they eat insects, likely including pests you want gone. I can think of one true spider that you might not want getting cozy in your garden. Meet the Brown ...
- 5,839
10
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Can Marigold flowers keep animals away?
I haven't done specific research, but am happy to provide you with my personal experience.
Every year I grow many varieties of marigolds and they're always among the least bothered in my garden. ...
10
votes
How do I stop woodpeckers from killing my beloved apple tree?
Since woodpeckers don't eat wood, concentrate on killing the insects that the woodpeckers are actually eating (rather than "keeping the woodpeckers away" by some means other than removing their food ...
- 18.4k
10
votes
Rat proofing compost bin but allowing worms in
I've had rats living in my allotment compost bins for years; we try to ignore each other. My bin is made of pallets so is hard to make rat-proof. A plastic bin should be more secure, except for the ...
- 2,995
9
votes
Accepted
How effective are praying mantis in keeping a garden clear of pests?
Mantids are not spectacular for pest control because they're very indiscriminate in choosing their prey. They readily attack other beneficial insects as well as harmful or pest insects.
I always get ...
- 429
9
votes
Accepted
Are these maggots and are they okay in the soil around the roots of a fruit tree?
Those are grubs. There are a lot of kinds of grubs, though, and they look so similar, you often can only tell them apart by their rear ends (seriously, see below)
They feed on roots (usually turf, ...
- 51.5k
9
votes
Which spiders should I allow in my garden?
Spiders in the garden are total GOOD GUYS. The amount of insects they control is wonderful!! They will not bother you! Now Tagenaria aggrestice or the Hobo Spider, Aggressive House Spider, Wolf ...
- 39.8k
9
votes
What is this bug on my adenium plant and what should I do?
Agreed, its an aphid infestation, specifically what's known as Oleander Aphid, which affects plants in the Apocynaceae family (which Adenium belongs to) as well as Asclepiadaceae - more info in the ...
- 129k
9
votes
Accepted
Should I remove the tiny, cute, white and red bugs from my Umbrella plant (Variegated Schefflera)?
Your Pokemons are waxy scale, or coccidae. Your description in the comments above is spot on: another name is "tortoise scale".
The Florida wax scale (Ceroplastes floridensis) looks quite similar, ...
- 15.5k
9
votes
Accepted
Are these wasps? What is the best course of action to handle them?
Yes, that is a wasp nest in an early stage. If you can't just leave it be, act as soon as possible. (You may want to check the legal situation, though, some wasps are protected and their nests may be ...
- 15.5k
8
votes
What is the best organic way to defeat slugs?
Hand picking them at night is a great way to get a large population under control. After you have reduced their numbers you could try a few things.
If you have mulch around your plants you may want ...
- 121
8
votes
Accepted
What are these black bugs on my zucchini plant?
I'm going to guess fungus gnats because I always think tiny black bodied winged bugs are fungus gnats but in this case I think I'm right. :)
It looks like you have the plants in containers. Is that ...
- 8,437
8
votes
How do I identify and control spider mites
There are so many species (and genera for that matter) of spider mites that one set of guidelines is likely not going to fit all of them. If you ask about a specific kind of spider mite, you might get ...
- 17.1k
8
votes
Can Marigold flowers keep animals away?
Marigolds will keep some animals away - works best on insects. Some people say marigolds will keep cats out of a bed, but I have had some feral cats that hadn't read this and they went in the beds and ...
- 161
8
votes
Best mosquito repellent plant for a sunny terrace?
On the assumption you mean plants suitable for pots outdoors, lemon scented plants such as Citronella and Lemon Balm are good. Plants offered for sale under the name citronella vary - the one to look ...
- 129k
8
votes
What possible reasons could the previous owner have for burying chicken wire under the lawn?
My guess is for moles and other critters. If it is true your neighbor wanted no mounds, trees, or other deformities in her lawn, she may have been preventing critters from digging into the yard. So ...
- 291
8
votes
Accepted
What possible reasons could the previous owner have for burying chicken wire under the lawn?
I had an idea that planting lots of crocus in the back yard lawn would look beautiful in spring. The local squirrels and chipmunks agreed that this was a wonderful idea and as soon as I planted a ...
- 56.2k
8
votes
Killing fruit flies without pesticides?
It's the surface tension in your current setup that keeps the fruit flies safe. Even if they decide to party on the vinegar, they can simply fly away again and take a nice break elsewhere.
But your ...
- 15.5k
8
votes
Killing fruit flies without pesticides?
We make a simple paper funnel by just rolling a sheet of paper into a cone and stapling or taping it. Then we make sure there's a small opening at the bottom. We put this into a tall glass that has a ...
- 2,745
8
votes
Is it a good idea and how to introduce frogs in my garden?
Be careful to only pick native species.
If you want to introduce toads into your garden for pest control, I have one word of warning for you: make sure to only use a species of toad native to the area ...
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