Foil Garden Pests

You may think aluminum foil is just a handy kitchen product. But it's actually one of the best outdoor tools against pesky pests, as well! Here’s how to put it to work:

Keep out cats. Fill empty 2-liter bottles halfway with water. Add a tiny bit of bleach to prevent algae from growing, and drop 3 long strips of foil into each one. Set the bottles around any areas of your yard you want to protect from unwanted visitors.
Repel birds, rabbits, and raccoons with a flashing fence. Pound stakes into the soil at 3- to 4-foot intervals all around your garden, and run twine between them. Cut aluminum foil into strips that are about 1 inch wide and about 5 inches long, and tape the strips to the twine, spaced out from each other by a foot or so.
Fend off cutworms, which commonly attack young plants, by wrapping foil loosely around the stems of any delicate seedlings. The foil should extend about 2 inches below the ground and 3 inches above. When the stems of your plants reach about ½ inch in diameter and are too thick for cutworms to damage, remove the foil.
Deter flying insects by placing several pieces of aluminum foil on the soil around any plants you want to protect. The reflecting light will confuse the bugs so that they can’t land. Just make sure to poke a few holes in the foil so that water can still reach your plants’ roots.
Stop snails and slugs. These troublemakers will snack on just about any kind of plant under the sun! To keep 'em from munching, simply wrap the base of each plant that you want to protect in a 1-inch piece (or larger, if you’d like) of foil. They'll keep right on movin'.

For more critter-busting quick-tricks, check out our bestselling book, Critter Control & Pest Prevention. You can even try it out FREE for a full 21 days with our Free Preview!

The Great Paper Plate

We all know that when you’re feeding a crowd at a big cookout or hosting a backyard birthday party for your kids, paper plates can save you a whole lot of cleanup time. But that’s not the only way this disposable, inexpensive, and super sturdy helper can come to your aid. Here are a few more handy hacks you can perform with a paper plate that'll make your life easier, cleaner, and less stressful...

In the Garden

• Say “adios” to ants. Whether the tiny rascals are traipsing into your house or making mischief at your barbecue, serve up ultra-safe ant bait on a paper plate. When the bait’s all gone, toss the plate into the compost bin, or bury it in the garden. You’ll solve your pest problem and improve your soil at the same time.
• Make sticky traps for flying bugs. Poke a hole near the edge of the plate, and thread a piece of wire through it. Coat the paper surface with corn syrup or petroleum jelly, and hang the trap on or next to a plagued plant. Every few days, remove the bug-covered plate and replace it with a fresh one.
• Make a quickie bird feeder. Use thumbtacks to attach heavy-duty paper plates to your wooden porch railing or other sheltered spot, and scatter a handful of black oil sunflower seeds in each one.

Around the House

• Catch paint drips. Before you start painting a ceiling, poke a hole in a paper plate and push your brush handle through. Then you’ll be sure that the paint will dribble onto the plate and not on your head.
• Cushion your china. When ceramic plates are stacked on a shelf, the bottom of one can scratch the surface of the plate below. To keep that from happening, put paper plates between them.
• Stop the splatter. Before you whip up your favorite goodies with your electric mixer, poke the straight end of the whisks through a paper plate (face down), and attach them to your mixer as usual. The plate will catch all the mess, so cleanup will be a cinch!

For more trash-to-treasure tips, garden growin’ magic, and critter controls, check out our bestselling book, Supermarket Super Gardens. You can even try it out FREE for 21 days!