Environmentally safe products to Protect Your Garden     The rains have abated, the sun is coming out and so are the pests that cold weather have kept dormant. Here are some products that help control pests in a non- or less toxic way.     Slugs and snails can strip a young plant of its leaves over night and disappear. Because snails and slugs have a soft body, a barrier will often do the job.     For trees, or potted plants or raised beds try Safer® Slug and Snail Copper Barrier Tape (1-1/8") or the wider version (3") by Snail-Barr. Both products give the wet slug or snail body a shock, which deters them from their quest.     To trap and kill snails, bury a coffee can level with the soil line near their favorite midnight snack. Pour a few inches of beer in (they're attracted to the yeast) and in the morning clear out the drowned snails.     Slugs and snails dislike crawling over sharp objects, so diatomaecious earth, made from the finely ground fossils of prehistoric fresh water diatoms, is a great barrier for snails (and for ants and other crawling insects, as well). Safer® Diatomaceous Earth provides long lasting control -- sprinkle it into cracks and crevices where bugs hide.     One of the best ways to fight pests is by employing their natural enemies. Cole Hardware stocks several of the most popular 'helpful' insects who prey on pests like aphids, thrips, mites and grubs including: Ladybugs, which feed on small soft-bodied insects, especially aphids; Praying Mantids and Beneficial Nematodes, which have been shown to be just as effective as traditional insecticides on armyworms, rootworms, fleas, fungus gnats, stem borers, root weevils, cutworms and billbugs. - Hardware Hotline  April, 2003 Click on item numbers to order these products: 700909 Snail-Barr 14819-1, 3" x 20 ft. copper strip 701166 Ladybugs 01-10 701167 Praying Mantids 701172 Beneficial Nematodes FD-R7M