How To Get Rid Of Slugs: 9 Natural And Effective Solutions
Slugs are every gardener’s biggest enemy. These garden pests know no rest. They will munch on any new growth they see, ruin all your seedlings, leave holes in your leaves, stems, flowers, potatoes and so on. Leaving behind a sliver, slimy trail, the culprit can be no other than the garden slug. And one of the worst part about them is that they are active pretty much all year around, even though they do tend to cause more problems during spring, don’t think you are safe during autumn as well. Slugs loooove moist, damp and warm weather. So, you can expect them to show up during anytime that fits this category. But if you are sick and tired of seeing slugs ruining your garden, we are here to help. We’ve collected the best methods when it comes to how to get rid of slugs. So, let’s check them out:
Slugs are every gardener’s biggest enemy, as these pests know no rest
How To Get Rid Of Slugs
Slugs love to wreak havoc on your garden, they thrive on it. And even though they are helpful when it comes to recycling dead leaves, which can help you save time from raking, they are not worth keeping in the garden. It’s important to stop slugs int heir tracks, as they tend to lay most of their eggs during fall, when the leaves fall, and they have plenty of new hiding spaces and dead leaves to feast on. However, all these eggs now, mean a ton of new slugs to terrorize you during spring. So, let’s see how to keep these pesky creatures out of your garden no matter the season.
Slugs love to wreak havoc on your garden, they thrive on it
#Use Plants
If you are looking for a gentle and natural method to getting rid of slugs, you can always use plants to deter them. Specific plants can act as a natural pesticide for slugs. This way you won’t have to use any harmful chemical pesticides. You can plant astrantia. Slugs really dislike the smell of it to steer clear. Some other plants you can use are rosemary, fennel, anise, wormwood, and rue.
You can plant some beautiful astrantia around the garden to repel slugs
#Remove Shelter
Slugs love to seek shelter under things you’ve left lying around in your garden. This includes logs, bricks, garden furniture, leaf piles, old pots and so on. So, one way to keep slugs out of your garden is to remove any type of shelter they may hide under. This will expose them to their natural predators. Overall, you are trying to make your garden as unsuitable for living as possible for the slug. This way the nature will take care of the problem. Hedgehogs, toads, and newts will be happy to take care of the slugs for you, now that they can spot them.
Slugs love to seek shelter under things you’ve left lying around in your garden, like logs
#Beer Trap
Who knew cracking open a cold one can help you with your slug problem? This is an easy and inexpensive way to set up a slug trap. All you need to do is bury half of the beer can near some plants or places you’ve noticed slugs love to hang out. It should be just 2 to 3 cm above the ground. Also make sure the can of beer is at least half full. The sweet scent of beer will lure in the slugs, which will fall and get trapped.
Who knew cracking open a cold one can help you with your slug problem?
#WD-40
What can’t WD-40 do? Not only does it fix your squeaky door hinges, it can also rid you of slugs. All you need to do is spray some WD-40 on the outside of your pots, or along the garden path. The surfaces will become way too slippery for the slugs to handle and will protect them from climbing on and getting to your plants.
All you need to do is spray some WD-40 on the outside of your pots, or along the garden path
#Copper
Copper and slug slime do not mix well. When the slime gets in touch with copper it produces a tiny electrical shock. You can lay down some self-adhesive copper tape around your garden. This way when a slug goes through it, it will get a shock and will start to avoid the area. You can also get copper rings and place them around the plants slugs go after the most. The ring will give them a shock and force them back.
When the slime gets in touch with copper it produces a tiny electrical shock for the slug
#Nematodes
If you are looking for a biological way to keep these pests out, nematodes are a great choice. Nematodes are soil-dwelling, tiny, microorganisms that are parasites to slugs. The nematodes infect the slugs with bacteria, which eventually ends them. All you need to do is mix some nematodes with water and apply it to the soil. However, make sure your soil temperatures is at least of 5 degrees C, for the treatment to be effective. Using nematodes is safe for humans, so it’s a great, natural way of slug control.
If you are looking for a biological way to keep these pests out, nematodes are a great choice
#Salt
Just like snails, salt is detrimental for slugs. So, sprinkling some salt around the garden or their hiding places is a cheap and effective way to kill slugs. However, it is important to not overdo it with salt around your more precious plants, as it can affect them negatively.
Sprinkling salt around the garden or their hiding places is a cheap and effective way to kill slugs
#Fruit Trap
Next time you are snacking on a delicious citrus fruit such as an orange or a grapefruit, make sure to keep the empty halved peel. Just place the empty peels, open side down, near the plants or spots slugs usually hang around. Then the slugs, as well as other pests, will be drawn to the fruity domes. They may take shelter in it. The next morning you will find the slugs underneath it, you can then offer the birds in your garden a delicious slug filled grapefruit bowl. Or leave them for the other natural predators.
Just place the empty peels, open side down, near the plants or spots slugs usually hang around
#Broken Eggshells
Even slugs no to keep away from pointy, broken objects that may slice them. So, if you have any leftover eggshells, break them into tiny pieces and scatter them all over the slugs favorite areas. The sharp edges of the shells are not nice on the slugs soft and unprotected body. So, they will learn to stay away. And as a bonus, the eggshells will eventually decompose and give all their great benefits to your soil.
If you have any leftover eggshells, break them into tiny pieces and scatter them all over
These were the most effective ways to get rid of slugs. We hope you found this article useful. Now you can enjoy a slug free garden all year around and not have to worry about these pests demolishing your beautiful plant growth.
Now you can enjoy a slug free garden all year around and not have to worry about these pests
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