Good Guests:

 Ladybugs:

• Considered good luck, and bring cheerful whimsy to your garden.
• Eat aphids.
• Prefer umbrella-shaped flowers such as fennel, dill, cilantro, geraniums, and dandelions. 
• Can be purchased live at many garden stores.

 Praying Mantises:

• Eat mosquitoes, aphids, fruit flies, house flies, and moths.
• Eggs can be purchased by the crate, will produce 50-200 adults.

 Unwelcome Guests:

 Slugs and Snails:

• Slugs and snails love beer.  Set out a bowl of beer, and they will drown in it.

 Rabbits:

• Human hair keeps rabbits away.  Collect hair from your brushes and spread it around your garden.
• Tabasco sauce smeared on your plants will keep rabbits from nibbling.

Ants:

• Ground cinnamon is a non-toxic ant deterrent.
• As is ordinary table salt.
• To kill an ant bed, mix equal parts borax and sugar and sprinkle on bed, but keep away from pets and children.
• Pour boiling water over a bed to kill most of the ants.

 Mosquitoes:

• You can make your own insect repellent out of citronella oil and Vaseline.  Simply apply to exposed skin.
• To make a spray-on repellent, mix a solution of one part mint oil, two parts rubbing alcohol, and one part water.  Put in spray bottle and spray on yourself.
• Tie dryer sheets around your waist.  It works!
• To relive itching, dab a bit of straight white vinegar on bites.
• Or, rub on some onion juice, if you can handle smelling like onions.

Your yard is more enjoyable if you don’t have to worry about various uninvited visitors!