Backyard Bandits Beware.

Bill Adler Jr. is on the trail of the crafty wildlife that trample backyards, feast on gardens, and raid birdfeeders. With wit, creativity, and a lot of cunning advice, Adler helps readers enjoy all types of wildlife while keeping the peskier of the critters at bay. Pick one of the books that addresses your specific problem or to really get a grip on the situation, buy all three and enjoy the discounted set price of only $34.95.

"I once believed all those myths about Bambi," admits Adler. Now a homeowner and gardener, he has changed his tune: "Deer are a scourge. They invade our yards and eat our precious plants, shrubs, fruits, and vegetables." They carry dangerous diseases. And the worst part is, they're nearly impossible to keep out of backyard gardens. As adaptable as squirrels, deer will jump fences, trample flowers, and even enter your house--all in search of a good meal.

Adler offers over 100 truly ingenious methods for outwitting these voracious ungulates. Learn how to:

* identify deer presence in your yard

* landscape your garden to deter deer

* create homemade repellents

* prevent deer-vehicle collisions

Lyons Press, 177 pages, 5 1/2" x 8 1/4", paperback, $14.95

--from Lyons Press

Outwitting Critters is the definitive book on coping with the nettlesome side of nature. All those who have had deer nibbling their carrots, ants in the kitchen sink, and mice in the sock drawer--or who have battled invasion by bats, snakes, gophers, raccoons, and any number of other pests--will find solace and solutions in this book. Bill Adler Jr. gives humane and effective advice and provides information on the motivations behind the often incomprehensible actions of our animal friends and foes.

Also included are helpful lists of resources and deterrent products. This book is a must for anyone who has ever been outwitted by a critter.

Lyons Press, 1997, 255 pages, 5 1/4" x 8 1/2", paperback, $14.95

--from Lyons Press

According to The New York Times, people in the United States spend $17 million on bird books and buy 1.2 million tons of birdseed, only to have feeders raided by marauding rodents with brains no larger than walnuts. Since 1988, Bill Adler Jr. has helped tens of thousands of bird lovers stop squirrels from pillaging their bird feeders.

Outwitting Squirrels contains advice on how to stop squirrels from digging in flowerbeds. He describes advanced antisquirrel stratagems and homemade antisquirrel devices.

From spooker poles and Perrier bottles to water bombs and cayenne pepper, Adler has tried every conceivable method of ridding his backyard of these fluffy, gluttonous rodents. In Outwitting Squirrels, he shares his top strategies, plus countless stories and anecdotes about his ongoing war with the squirrel.

Chicago Review Press, 1996, 188 pages, 5 1/8" x 8 1/2", paperback, $11.95

--from Chicago Review Press