by Tom Roberts

A handy tool for pest identification that can be taken right into the garden. Color pictures and descriptions of each pest and their life cycle help make identification easy. Includes sections on biological, cultural, and acute insect control; creating a good garden environment; Integrated Pest Management principles (IPM); insect resistance, cockroach IPMSs for the home, and common pests of gardens and homes.

From Booklist: Roberts offers gardeners alternatives to the use of poisons in controlling insects. He discusses biological insect control (using beneficial insects to kill destructive ones), cultural insect control (rotating crops every few years, removing diseased or rotting plants, and plowing old plants and vines under in the fall), and acute insect control (using insecticidal soaps to spray on insects or picking and crushing them by hand). He also suggests such techniques as organically enriching the soil and controlling weeds. He lists 60 common pests and explains their anatomy and life cycle and how to kill them. Roberts also lists mail-order suppliers of beneficial insects and organic products.

Paperback - 96 pages