Critter Ridder

Well, there's good news and bad news.
The bad news is: of the eight broccoli and cauliflower plants I had placed out in my garden a few weeks ago, six of them were reduced to mere nubs in one night.

I'm not sure who the culprit was, except I know it wasn't an overly voracious beetle or a super-sized cabbage looper worm. I don't think it was my resident backyard mockingbird either.

Strangely, the incident occurred last weekend...could the Easter Bunny be the one to blame?

Well anyway, the good news is that the incident virtually handed me the topic for this month's column. So, without further ado, here's a brief primer on how to organically repel various creatures from your house and landscape. (Please keep in mind that even organic repellents can sometimes be dangerous to kids and pets. Be sure to do a little research before moving forward with your plan of attack.)

Organic Remedies "In Da House"

Some creatures like to help themselves to your humble abode. Don't expect 'em to offer to pay rent.

Ants Clean surfaces with vinegar and water, spray ants directly with diluted orange oil, dust really bad areas with baking soda.

Silverfish, centipedes, millipedes, crickets Vacuum up , spray with Orange oil, dust with boric acid.

Spiders I have a special place in my heart for spiders, so they are going to get some extra "face time" here. Spiders are routinely, unfairly feared. Most spiders are harmless. All spiders are gorgeous, complex creatures.

That being said, it is wise for you and everyone in your family to be able to identify the two most common venomous spiders in the U.S., the black widow and the brown recluse. Everyone knows what a black widow looks like. Shiny black body, fat abdomen, spindly legs, red hourglass, right?

However, I have lost count at the number of times people have mistaken the common grass or wolf spider for a brown recluse. Click here for a very distinct picture of the recluse - note the fiddle on the back. http://www.brown-recluse.com/images/br7-... If you see one, smash it. Ditto for the black widow.

Otherwise, I encourage you to take a live-and-let-live approach with spiders, even in your house. They will reward you by usually staying out of sight and munching on other pests you really don't want around. And they'll never ask to be driven to soccer practice right when you've started to make dinner.

Roaches Use citrus sprays, practice diligent cleanliness. Make Roach-Rid Cakes by mixing two parts flour, one part boric acid, and one part sugar. Add enough water to form little balls or cakes. Place near cracks, crevices or wherever you're seeing roaches. Add moisture periodically to keep the cakes together. Keep away from pets and children. Some people also report Horse apples (large bumpy green fruit from Bois D'Arc trees) repel roaches.