Pick a pest and you can usually find a natural control for it. Natural garden pest controls are less expensive and are safer for your garden, family, natural wildlife and the environment.

Prevention is the easiest way to discourage pests from coming in the first place. A healthy garden is the best defense and here are some tips:

Healthy organic soil. Natural composting, mulching and top-dressing your soil with compost are the best way to develop strong plants.

Pull out weak plants. The weak plants may already be infected. Pull and dispose of them away from the garden.

Seaweed mulch or spray. Seaweed fertilizer in mulch or spray will enhance growth and give plants strength. Seaweed mulco also repels slugs.

Interplant and rotate crops. When plantings are mixed, pests are less likely to spread throughout. Rotating crops each year is a common method to avoid re-infestation of pests.

Keep foliage dry. Water early in the day so foliage will be dry for most of the day. Wet foliage encourages insect and fungal damage.

Disinfect. To reduce the spread of invading insects, clean your tools after working with infested plants before moving on to other areas of your garden.

Minimuze habitat. Be sure to clear your garden area of debris and weeds as this is a breeding place for insects.

Beneficial insects are insects which you can attract to the garden. They prey on the harmful insects. There are many different species for specific problems and here are a few:

Brachonids, Chalcids and Ichneumon Wasps. These are small insects that destroy leaf-eating caterpillars. They are attracted to carrots, celery, parsley, caraway and Queen Anne's lace. They are easy to grow and be allowed to flower, that is what attracts these insects.

Ladybugs. Ladybugs are very common and will eat aphids, mites, whiteflies and scale. They are attracted to the garden by planting members of the daisy family.

Lacewings. Lacewings are avid consumers of aphids. Their larva also eats aphids and other varieties of insects. They are attracted to flowers such as yarrow, goldenrod and asters.

Hover-flies. The hover-flies and their larva will consume the same insects as the lacewings and are attracted to the same flowers.

Praying Mantis. The Praying Mantis is a large insect that has an appetite for most garden insects.

Nematodes. These insects are effective against cutworms. They are also effective against beetles and root weevel larvae.