If you share your garden with a dog or cat, avoiding chemical pesticides is a must. These toxic substances can have a devastating effect on your animal’s health and well being, especially if he accidentally ingests them by nibbling the grass or licking his paws or fur after being outside.

This doesn’t mean you have to let your prized roses or tomato plants die if they become infested with pests. In fact, a healthy garden is full of insects, some good and some bad. Usually, nature always seeks a balance by allowing the strongest to survive. You can do the same by encouraging the good guys while discouraging the bad guys. The best way to do this is by providing for a good, healthy soil environment. This means not using any chemicals that will upset the environment and its delicate balancing act. Chemicals not only destroy the insects you don’t want; they also kill natural beneficial bacteria, and provide a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and pests to flourish. Beneficial species act as guardians of the garden, and nothing that will harm them should be used.

Introducing beneficial insects to the garden is a pet-friendly way to deal with pests without resorting to chemical toxins. There are many sources of biological control products, predators and parasites, such as Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply (www.groworganic.com) or ARBICO-Organics at www.arbico-organics.com.

Whenever using anything that comes bottled or in any sort of container, you must be careful how it is handled and stored, even if it is a natural product. Beneficials require very special handling, and must be released at the right time of year and under the right conditions, so read the instructions carefully to ensure success.

Here are some of many beneficial species that can help ensure a luxuriant garden while keeping you and your four-footed friends safe and healthy.

Semaspore (Nosema locustae): A naturally occurring protozoan that’s deadly to the grasshoppers and crickets that eat it, but is pest-specific and will not harm anything else. Apply in early spring for best control.

Aphid-lions (Chrysoperia camea and Chrysoperia rufilabris): Aphid-lions are also known as dobsonflies, ant-lions, or lacewings. The aphid-lion is found in most gardens and is an all-purpose garden predator. The larvae eat aphids, mealybugs, scale, thrips, mites, spider mites and whitefly. They also kill many other destructive insects, as well the eggs of many caterpillars, mites, scale, aphids and mealybugs.

Lady beetle or ladybug: Many varieties are native to North America. Both the young and adult stages eat various soft-bodied insects such as aphids. If a good food source is available, the lady beetles will stay and lay eggs.

Dragonflies and damselflies: The mosquito hawk is another name for the dragonfly, because it devours mosquitoes and other water-born insects. This insect has highly developed eyes, a speedy mode of flight, and is a fierce hunter. The damselfly is the smaller of the two and, unlike the dragonfly, folds its wings on its back.

Bats: Will consume a tremendous number of insects in their lifetime, and are the best mosquito control imaginable! Protect them whenever you can, and install a bat house to encourage them to take up residence in your garden.

Andy Lopez, also known as The Invisible Gardener, has a degree in horticulture from the University of Florida and a B.S. in Business. He has been specializing in organic gardening for many years and has written several books, including The Organic Growers’ Manual and Natural Pest Control: Alternatives to Chemicals for the Home and Garden. For more information on natural pest control and Andy’s radio show, visit www.invisiblegardener.com.