Green Pest Control: Reality or Myth?

As much as I love summer, it definitely has its drawbacks, mostly in the form of humidity, weeds, and mosquitoes.

There’s nothing I can do about the humidity, but I’d really really like to get rid of the other two. With a dog running around, I’m even more reluctant to turn to chemicals than I was before, but I’ve got to do something.

I’m always on the lookout for green pest control tips that work, but so far, I’ve come up a bit short. So I thought I’d turn to the 5m4gg readers, and see what you have tried and tested.

Problem: Grass growing at the edges of landscaping beds.
Solution: ???

I’ve already lined the landscaping beds with multiple layers of newspaper topped with landscaping fabric, but the grass keeps coming through. I’ve been tempted many times to go buy a big jug of Roundup, but our dog goes out into the yard multiple times a day, and I don’t want him exposed to poison if it can be avoided.

Problem: Mosquitoes. OMG the mosquitoes.
Solution: ???

We don’t have any standing water in or around our yard that I can find, but we’re absolutely overrun by mosquitoes in the summertime. When we’re out using the grill, we put out tiki torches with citronella oil, which helps somewhat. I planted tansy and marigolds in the garden, but it’s a little early in the season to tell if they’re making a difference. There are definitely still WAY too many mosquitoes around.

Problem: Cats leaving presents in inappropriate places.
Solution: ???

I read somewhere that if you put grapefruit rinds hollow-side down in the garden, they’ll keep cats away. I saw some really disturbing piles of what look like rained-on cat poo out in the front landscaping today, so I guess I need to find somebody who likes grapefruit. Either that, or hide in the bushes with a spray bottle full of water, which might be more entertaining…

Green divas and dudes, the floor is yours!

What famous green tips have you tried and debunked? What have you discovered that really works?

An original 5 Minutes for Going Green post. On most days you can find Velocibadgergirl at Pardon the Egg Salad, where she blogs about travel, her spoiled pets, science geekery, and whatever else comes to mind. She’ll be chronicling her second-year gardening adventures at Pardon the Garden, and admits that she hates weeding and is mostly making it up as she goes along.