By Sarah-Louise Kelly

Copyright huffingtonpost

Gardening is such a delight. That is, until you spot the signs that the plants you’ve been nurturing so fondly are actually a top-tier treat for tiny insects and bugs.

Whether it’s slugs, ants or even rodents, our gardens can feel like a free-for-all for these critters – and for many of us, using poison or other extreme measures is out of the question.

Thankfully, there are natural solutions to these issues that mean our plants will be a lot safer and our consciences will remain clear.

Natural deterrents for garden pests

Use cinnamon to keep ants at bay

If ants seem to be attracted to one of your plants in particular, using cinnamon sticks, essential oils or even just a circle of ground cinnamon around the plant will keep them from climbing in and munching away.

This is because ants have a very strong sense of smell and the potent scent of cinnamon is off-putting to them.

Use Vaseline to prevent slugs and snails

If you’re finding chunks of leaves missing thanks to slugs and snails having an absolute feast on your favourite plants, you can deter them using Vaseline.

The mixture is simply too slippery for these already slippery critters to slide their way over. Smearing Vaseline around the base and rim of your plant pots should make a huge difference, keeping leaves looking full and fresh.

Sprinkle bicarbonate soda around vegetable plants to deter rodents

If you’re finding that your vegetable plants are consistently eaten by a variety of critters, try this trick.

Around an inch away from the plant itself, sprinkle a circle of bicarbonate of soda on the soil to dissuade rodents from eating your plants and insects from going near them.

You can also plant “sacrificial plants” around your garden to deter pests.