Question: We just moved into a house with huge trees that are dropping an incredible amount of leaves on the lawn. Do I have to get them off the lawn or will they form a protective blanket until spring? Do I have to get them all or can I leave a thin layer?

Answer: If possible, try getting the last few leaves off the grass before the ground freezes. Once they get matted down onto the grass, they will smother it and the grass will have a harder time sprouting up next spring. Don't worry about every last leaf, just the areas where the wind blows them into small piles that accumulate. Leave the ones that accumulate in the flowerbeds and under shrubs. If they don't look too bad, they will add nutrients to the soil as they decay.

The best thing you can do with the leaves is to grind them with a lawn mower or leaf vacuum. Do not leave rows of mulched leaves on the grass. My Black and Decker Leaf Hog blower converts into a vacuum that bags the leaves. If the leaves are dry, they chip into tiny pieces. I then dump the leaves into flowerbeds, the raspberry patch and under shrubs. Leaves are excellent mulch over the winter and they decay rapidly in the spring and summer.

Question: I used some diatomaceous earth in my garden this summer to get rid of slugs and it worked. I read that it can be used indoors to control household roaches, but a friend says it could harm my cat. Can it be used indoors?

Answer: Diatomaceous earth is the skeleton of microscopic aquatic organisms that are kind of snowflake shaped. The skeleton is made of silicon dioxide, which is the same thing as sand, but the DE particles are dust sized rather than sand grain sized. The sharp pointed dust damages the bodies of soft skinned insects like aphids and it can be used for slugs. DE also absorbs water, so it can work against other types of insects too by drying them out. It has a very low toxicity to mammals when used properly and it isn't too persistent in the environment once it gets wet, so it needs to be reapplied after a rain or heavy dew. It can be mixed with insecticidal soap to help the soap stick to plant leaves.

There are three main types of DE. It can be horticultural, food grade and filter grade. The horticultural grade is used as an insecticide outdoors. And if it says so on the packaging, it can be used for insects like fleas and bedbugs indoors and on pets. Just follow the label directions.

The food grade DE is used in many household products such as toothpaste, water filters, medicines, paints and many other products. This grade is also used as an insecticide for fleas and ticks on the outside of pet, but it is also used to rid animals of intestinal parasites by mixing it into their food. Again, follow label directions.

The filter grade DE is used in swimming pool filters and other industrial filters. It is heat-treated which changes the crystals and is generally not recommended for either horticultural or food-grade uses.

You must be very careful to not breathe in the DE dust particles; they could harm your lungs and the lungs of other animals. A cat that gets particles on its feet or fur and licks them clean will swallow the dust, but in small amounts that shouldn't be a problem. Wise and limited use of small amounts of DE will not be harmful to you or your pets. Just don't breathe the dust.

Email questions to Jeff Rugg at info@greenerview.com. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.