Here are tips on protecting your plants from outdoor pests. You can protect young trees from small animals by wrapping their trunks with hardware cloth (figure A)<#IMG LEFT>. The mesh must be close enough to the plant that animals can't get inside it. As the tree grows, expand the hardware cloth around it. The mesh should extend at least 18" to 20" above the ground so that small animals can't reach over it.
Beetle problems can often be resolved with a "beetle bag" trap (figure B)<#IMG RIGHT>. Just drop the beetle bait into the bag, and hang the trap on a tree. The scent of the bait will attract the insects, and the shape of the bag prevents their escaping. When the bag is full, tie it closed and dispose of it in the trash.
For light jobs, use a hand-pumped powder sprayer. This device works well on isolated shrubbery and trees, but it takes a lot of work to use it on large areas. You can make your own duster out of a canning jar with holes in the lid (figure C) <#IMG LEFT>. Pour pesticide powder along with plastic wire nuts and wooden dowels into the jar, then shake the jar over anything you want to dust. The wire nuts and dowels agitate the dust and prevent it from clumping.
To treat trees, use a spraying device that attaches to your garden hose (figure D)<#IMG RIGHT>. Pour the pesticide into the container, and screw the end of your hose onto the sprayer. Most hose-end sprayers cost less than $10 and can spray as far as 20'.
A good low-tech treatment for decorative plants consists of a mild solution of dishwashing detergent and water in a spray bottle. Spray your plants with the solution to keep a wide variety of insects away. One drawback of this technique is that you'll have to reapply the solution after every rain. Another low-tech method for keeping insects away from your garden is to grow herbs such as parsley and catmint. Tiny worms known as beneficial nematodes can be a big help in keeping insects under control. The worms are shipped in a moist sponge (figure E)<#IMG LEFT>. When the sponge is squeezed into a bucket of water, the worms are released. Spray the water over the yard to distribute the worms evenly.
If you're having trouble with snails and slugs, treat them to a glass of beer. Pour beer into a shallow container (figure F)<#IMG RIGHT>, and place it where snails and slugs can get to it. The aroma will attract them, and they'll slither in and drown.
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