Garden pest control can involve chemical, biological and mechanical methods. If you are ridding your garden of snails or slugs, aphids or cutworms, you have to make decisions about where you stand on using poison baits, traps, or your own hands in removing an obnoxious garden pest from your prized plants.

Control is a more reasonable goal than complete eradication, unless your garden is inside a greenhouse where you may have more control. But if you are an outdoors gardener, it is reasonable to expect to lose a few plants to pests. Organic gardeners plan to lose up to 25% of any particular crop to pests, but to maintain the organic status of the garden, it's considered worthwhile.

Chemical garden pest control may include using pesticides, but they are often unnecessary. Sprays made of garlic juice, neem oil and soap can eradicate pests without carrying harmful chemicals into the soil. The most recommended treatment for aphids is a strong spray of water late enough in the day that the plants have time to dry in the sun after being "treated" with this all-natural remedy. Neem oil, from the neem tree of India, treats a variety of garden ailments, from powdery mildew to insects. A small amount of dishwashing detergent mixed with water also acts as an effective insect deterrent.

Other Methods of Garden Pest Control
Biological methods of garden pest control include the use of lady bugs, chickens and praying mantis to keep the insect population down. You can buy ladybugs and praying mantis by the pound online or at your local nursery. Release them into your garden and they will rid your plants of pests by feeding on them. Chickens can be allowed to range in well-established plantings to scratch out worms and insects as well. Finally, the best non-toxic form of snail removal is to pull them off your plants manually.