I don't have a garden in my yard, but I do know some about natural pest control. My favorite variety of pest control is carnivorous insects and plants. Certain breeds of spiders work well. A nest of praying mantises will also keep bugs down. I like mantises myself. They are lovely insects and eat tons of prey as some grow to impressive sizes. You can often obtain a small nest attached to a branch at your local nurseries if the time of year is right. Every nest can hatch hundreds of mantises and they eat other bugs like mad!
Carnivorous plants (pitcher plants, venus fly traps, etc.) are just plain fun to watch. If you have enough of them, they can control the pest population quite effectively. Unfortunately, you shouldn't plant them in your yard around here. They require much moisture and cooler temperatures. They work better in-doors and watered frequenty.
Carnivorous plants are typically small and can be grown in a hanging pot of peat moss soil by the dozen. If you have several in a hanging pot in your home, you can also hang a small, dripping container of water over them to keep their top-soil wet.
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