5. Water Hose

This works for a lot of pests; stray dogs, neighbor’s cat, the kids, etc. Anything that I catch wandering into the garden when I’m outside near the garden hose gets squirted. The only time this doesn’t work is when the lab up the road comes to visit. I think he enters the garden just to be squirted.

4. Soapy Water

Aphids, plant eating caterpillars and beetles all seem to dislike soapy water. I can spray this on my plants to get rid of many pesky insects, but it doesn’t harm my plants at all. I like knowing that I’m not spraying something on my plants that will also poison my family and me when we eat the vegetables from the garden.

3. Motion Sensor Light

Deer and rabbits usually run once the motion detector turns on the light attached to the back of the house. It also helps that there is a loud clicking sound as the light is turned on. I usually walk outside once the light comes on, so then there’s the sound of something coming from another direction, which tends to freak out the deer and rabbits.

2. Toy Pin Wheels

Moles seem to stay out of gardens with these. I don’t know why they work, but my guess is it might have something to do with the sound. Since these are stuck in the ground, then the stick will vibrate when the wind blows the pinwheel portion, causing an underground humming. This is just a guess though. I don’t care how they work, just that they do and they look pretty too!

1. Tin Pie Plates

Crows and other birds usually fly away when tin plates start banging into one another. I hang each plate from a string and then tie two plates close together from a fence post or tomato cage. They even work when hung on a branch of a fruit tree, since this is where the little birds like to hang out.

Like I said, insects aren’t the only pests you encounter in your garden. What types of pests do you have on a regular basis? Is there a pest control technique that you find to work every time? Feel free to share some of your methods!

Top Photo Credit: *spudballoo*