A Rite to Kill

Large print for those whose eyes are as bad as mine
Wendy Adams was the island's top gardener. She had tremendous success with all types of plants. She even grew a lot of things that wisdom said would not grow there.
When asked how she managed to keep such healthy plants in that kind of insect-infested place she answered that she had almost a set of rites she always followed. It got rid of the pests very effectively.
Then a few pests died in her garden who were not insects, snails, mites, or mice.