Besides their antics are worth a bit of food. They’re no worse, or even not as big gluttons as Blue Jays, Grackles and the likes.

Coke (any sugary, dark soda) and Tobassco (or any hot sauce) poured into a small dish, placed adjacent to a yellow jacket nest will ensure this particular pest has it’s last supper. Note: allow the mixture to ‘reduce’ in a dish for atleast a few days, check back in a week. May need to change the mixture out once the dish is full of dead wasps — Be Careful. In order to locate a nest (usually a hole in the ground) use tuna in an area you think the yellow jackets are coming from, wait, and watch as the jackets will slowly take the tuna back to the HQ one by one.
With a king’s bounty of the wasp-workers killed off, the queen will have no choice but to relocate (far away) once fall and winter arrives.

Most small mammals (chipmunks, squirrels, moles, gophers, et al):
Small mammals can add comedic releif in the blistering heat of summer, but they can wreck havok on any garden. this antedote works particulary well because it’s natural, non-toxic, most people have some of the ingredients at home, and your garden humor stays intact.

Garlic, Cayenne Pepper, Red Chilli pepper, Habenaros, and/or most spices in fresh (chopped) or dry ( powdery-seasoning) form applied throughout your garden bed will halt these mammals from digging out buds, or arround ornamental plants. As an added bonus, birds don’t have taste glands like most mammals (like us or smaller) and will not taste the spicy goodness of your garden. The added bonus is particularly useful if you find squirrels gourging themselves on the bird food you’ve used to invite your new Insect-Control Agents (Birds) to your yard; as it can also be applied when adding bird seeds to feeders. Have you ever seen a squirrel do a two-handed dismount with a mid-air summersault?

Also, for slugs, coarse (used, even) sandpaper around plants will work similar to egg shells.

Mosquitos: Marigolds, Catnip, Cedars, Lemon Balm, or any number of variations of genus; Cymbopogon (Citronella Grass, Lemon Grass et al) can aid in the repel of these nasty pests. Note: These plants show regional favortism, not just in plant health but in repeling powers. Try a variety and see what works.

Also, a lot of National Wildlife, Fish and Game, Wetland, and Forestry Services are using what’s called a ‘Mosquito Dunk’. They can also be picked up at your local, large-chain hardware store. These are supposedly non-toxic and non-lethal. The ‘Dunks’ are supposed to slow or halt the growth stages of mosquitos early on, which disables the mosquito from going from the larvae (wiggle) to a winged-Adult. They do work, but I think the juries still out on whether these ‘Dunks’ are harmful to others Animals (Birdbaths?) Best advice for any standing water: If it’s not needed, dump it, if it is (boirdbath, rain barrel, etc.) keep it changed out or invest in a device to keep the water from standing still; usually takes mosquito larvae 2 days to develop in standing water, they will not lay eggs in moving water.

If you have a water-feature (small pond) cosnider pruchasing mosquito fish and/or coy; mosquito fish will consume 100-400 larvae a day. Also, bat boxes can aid in the demise of mosquitos in the right regions. Some species of bats can consume 1000’s of mosquitos a day.

That’s all I know, for now. I’m sure I’ll think of more once I’ve submitted this comment. I’d like to hear how these workout for anyone.

Thanks for the additional tips in the article and comments!

@Christine I feel your pain. I have a groundhog that won’t leave. The solar moler might be effective against gophers, but they didn’t work on the groundhog. Good luck!