A Pet Friendly Garden (Part 2)
Snail and slug bait: Even fans of escargot hate the slime trails and mutilated buds left by voracious snails and slugs. Every spring I do battle with hordes of snails intent on devouring my flowers before they even have a chance to open, so I do understand why people march off to the store in search of a chemical solution. Unfortunately, the snail bait they most commonly come home with is truly horrible stuff: metaldehyde, which causes severe seizures in mammals, and for which there is no antidote. Animals that eat metaldehyde generally die without treatment, and even with treatment end up unconscious in intensive care for days. Animals that survive the seizures can suffer liver failure weeks or months later.
The good news is that there are some effective, animal-safe alternatives; Sluggo is widely available, made from iron phosphate, a nontoxic, natural compound, and is quite effective if applied regularly. Copper strips around the bases of containers can turn back inquisitive snails and slugs, and if you have a fireplace or wood-burning stove, a trench dug around the perimeter of your garden and filled with a few inches of wood-ash will keep the slimy marauders at bay. And if all else fails, there's always the beer approach.... some say shallow dishes of beer will attract the slugs to drown; others say that if you drink enough of it, you'll stop caring about the darned slugs!
Pesticides: There are several categories of pesticides commonly available for gardening, and some are quite dangerous, especially for cats. The most common pesticides work by disrupting the nervous system, and most are very nonspecific ---they are toxic to everything. Signs of pesticide toxicity can include trembling, excessive salivation, dilated pupils, watery eyes, urination and defecation, and seizures. Organophosphates are the most powerful, but synthetic pyrethrin derivatives can be quite toxic as well.
But never fear, less toxic, environmentally friendly alternatives abound. I mentioned in my last post that plants actually produce more nutrients when they have to defend themselves against pests, so we don't really want to get rid of all the bugs anyway! And remember, good organic techniques grow healthy, robust plants that are naturally more resistant to pest damage. Insecticidal soap can be quite effective, but needs to be reapplied regularly. Soft bodied pests like aphids can be controlled by simply spraying your plants with a good blast of water from a hose, and natural predators like ladybugs and preying mantises can be purchased at many garden centers or ordered online. Neem oil and diatomaceous earth are also effective and safe.
There are also companion plants that can help ward off pests, like catnip and strongly scented varieties of African and French marigolds, which can be planted with your other plants as a natural pest control. Of course, I can't guarantee that the neighborhood cats won't throw a party in your garden one night....
Come to think of it, plants aren't the only things that get doused with pesticides come spring.... In the next post, I'll talk a bit more about the hazards of pesticides, including flea and tick treatments, and finish up my review of garden and yard hazards.