Managing a relatively pest-free garden without using toxic chemicals takes a little planning. It is quite annoying to find slugs, mealy bugs, and scales feeding on our cacti and succulents and other plants. Here are some tips for coping with these pests.

Fortunately, we have many practical ways to keep insects to a minimum both on house plants and outdoor plants.

The first thing you need to do is identify the pests. Once that is done, you can find a suitable control or management technique. There are many sources of information on pests with most of these showing color drawings or photos of the pests.

Generally non-toxic pest controls fall into several categories, such as traps, and biologicals. Traps are a good way to get rid of certain pests. This method is most often used for slugs and snails. Beer works very well. However, the traps need to be emptied, cleaned, and refilled on a regular basis.

In some cases, traps are less effective. That is the case with Japanese beetles. Yes, they often trap lots of beetles. The problem is that they may simply have been feeding on your neighbor’s plants and were lured to your trap. In such instances, trapping needs to be a community-wide effort.

Biological controls work very well. One of the most common is beneficial insects that feed on the pests. For greenhouses, it may be necessary to buy these beneficials to release. For outdoor gardens, this may be less successful. For example, some gardeners buy ladybugs and release them. However, these don’t always stay where they’re put. They may simply fly elsewhere without ridding your garden of the pests.

There are several non-toxic materials that seem to work well. Insecticidal soap is very effective. However, this can be phytotoxic to some species of plants. Read the label to be sure that the plant you are spraying is listed on the label. If it isn’t, there is a possibility that damage might occur.

Other biologicals use various forms of Bt. These contain various strains of Bacillus thurengiensis, a microorganism that destroys the digestive systems of caterpillars.

One control that can be used freely on the soil surface is diatomaceous earth. This is made up of ground-up shells of diatoms, ancient water-dwelling creatures that lived millions of years ago. There are several kinds of diatomaceous earth available. Be sure and get the one that is labeled for garden use. One kind is used for swimming pool filters, and is not suitable for gardens. Diatomaceous earth works really well for slugs and snails. However, it has to be reapplied after rains or after you water the garden. For that reason, I switched to a non-toxic slug poison called Escargo, available from Gardens Alive. This contains a natural material that kills these pests, but doesn’t harm children, pets, or the environment.