Customer Reviews

Common-Sense Pest Control: Least-Toxic Solutions for Your Home, Garden, Pets and Community

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
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A detailed, well-indexed reference dealing with pests from lice to rats. This is a how-to book as well as a general reference, and although Common-Sense Pest Control is not always the most pleasant reading, it is a godsend to anyone in the trenches. The authors approach is scientific and non-alarmist, with an emphasis on least-toxic solutions. Excellent illustrations. An example of their style: "Few pest problems cause more panic and premature decisions among home owners than those involving wood-destroying insects such as carpenter ants or termites... Whatever the reason, you should not feel pressured. You have plenty of time to find the least-toxic treatment and decide whether you want to do some of the work yourself and contract out the rest to a professional or turn over the entire job to a professional."

This book is a wonderful resource for anyone who cares about balancing their own needs as residents of the planet with the needs of all the bugs out there. Insects are introduced, their contributions to their ecosystem detailed, possible ways of controlling them discussed where that is needed, and final, more dire solutions are available where needed. A great resource for those who want their pest control to be as little destructive as possible, and in many cases this is also what is most effective. A good resource to have on hand.

Despite the opinions of another of the book's reviewers, many responsible, ... homeowners and gardeners have the need to sanely deal with pest infestations. This is the best book for learning about the least toxic and often the most humane way of dealing with pest problems. I have used it for my own home and garden and also as a Master Gardener recommending solutions for other gardeners. I highly recommend it.

I answer garden questions (and ones about pest problems) for a living, and I'd be lost without my wonderful dog-eared copy of this book. It is probably responsible for TONS of toxic chemicals NOT being used by paniced homeowners, and belongs in EVERY home.

While at the Botanical Gardens Library in Cleveland researching options for "organic" pest control for vegetable gardening, and home pest control (for ants,carpenter bees, etc) I paged through a table full of books. MY goal was to formulate a pesticide that would control garden and home pests, yet be so non-toxic as to be potentially edible by humans. My focus included using essential plant oils as active ingredients, but was open to other non-toxic solutions as well. While pour over a number of volumes and as a side I pulled this book off the shelf, knowing full well that it was not going to specifically address my issues in depth. After I reviewed this volume I quickly discovered I was wrong. "Common Sense Pest Control" is very broad in scope, covering everything from wood-rot, to bats, to ants, to slugs and offers "common sense" approaches to controlling, eliminating, and in some cases: living with, common pests. After finding great information for my specific research in this book, I realized this was a reference that I should not be without in the future. The book is older, but newer information on the subject that I have found, leans more to chemical-sense solutions rather than common-sense. Amazingly I discovered that this hidden gem was dirt cheap in perfect condition hardcover here on Amazon. Highly recommended - a secret bargain -- I debated writing a customer review about this book, as I was going to purchase 4-5 of them and give them to friends and family as gifts. (Please leave me a few.)

I haven't read the book yet but I imagine it's good. The book was in great quality for being used. I am very happy to add it to my collection.

I originally purchased this book back in 1991 from a now-defunct gardening book seller, and can honestly say now after having this in my library since then it is a true treasure. For any and all pest problems around the home it has the answer. I concur with the other positive reviews here and only hope that copies will be available for a long time to come. It's a classic.

I've had this book for many years, so many that I never thought to rate it; it's one of those staples in my life. This book is about "least-toxic solutions for your home, garden, pets and community" and it is true. This book starts with the "Basic Concepts" Chapter 1 and introduces you to ecosystems, beneficial bugs and then breaks down different pests and goes over every possible solution from chemical to non-chemical. This book also goes over each chemical and explains the hazards that you must consider. This is a must own book; find a copy and you'll use it.

Chapters:
1 Basic Concepts
2 Beneficial Organisms (spiders, predacious bugs)
3 Pesticides (choosing the right chemical)
4 Pests of the Human Body Pinworms, mites, lice, bedbugs)
5 Pests Inside the House (clothes moths, carpet beetles, booklice)
6 Pests of Indoor Plants (general management strategies)
7 Pests of House Structure ( eliminating moisture, termites, carpenter ants)
8 Pests of the Garden (developing an Ecosystem Perspective)
9 Pests of the Community (rats, filth flies, yellowjackets, mosquitoes)

Buy this book; you'll be happy.

Ignore the two inane reviews below and read the others. You'll see what I mean....