Beastly nuisances - Valerie Porter

Val Porter presents an enlightened approach to the age-old problem of pests in the garden and home, without rushing for shotguns and poison. She explains their life cycles and habits and offers practical advice on how to cope with every possible 'nuisance', including slugs and snails, frogs and toads, spiders, flies, fleas, moths, birds, cats and dogs, mice, rats, rabbits, squirrels, foxes, deer, moles, weasels...the list is endless. By understanding the natural behaviour of our 'foes', we can make use of practical tricks and remedies, and so keep a better balance of nature in the wider scheme of things. As the author says, 'I appreciate that, from [the pests] point of view, I am invading their territory, and not the other way round...We need to strike a balance, bargain with nature, accommodate other species and 'control' them by guile rather than by force...If you must make it a battle, make it a battle of wits, not a battle to the death.'