Slugs and snails can wreak havoc in the garden, but luckily gardeners have shared their tried-and-true tricks for getting rid of these critters naturally – one of which involves using breakfast produce that would probably end up in the bin anyway.
Slugs can cause damage to garden crops (Getty Images)
Slugs and snails are some of the most damaging garden pests.
Many gardeners spend hours weeding, planting and watering flowers and making their outdoor spaces look beautiful, so having slugs and snails wreak havoc is the last thing you want. Although slugs and snails perform valuable tasks in your garden, such as breaking down plants, they also love to eat soft, fleshy leaves and seedlings, leaving unsightly, misshapen holes in the plants you've lovingly nurtured.
Slugs are also a real nuisance for people who grow fruit and vegetables in their gardens, as they devour them and damage the crops. Gardeners can buy specially formulated slug repellents, but they are expensive and can be dangerous to pets and other wildlife.
But luckily for us, gardener Emma, who regularly shares her journey with her own private plot in London, has shared some amazing “natural” slug and snail defences to “protect” the plants we lovingly nurture, so there's no need to “reach out for the pesticides”.
“Start by getting some crushed seashells,” Emma explains. “Any seashell will work. If you use eggs, make sure you remove any egg residue, otherwise they will just attract slugs instead.”
So after you make your avocado and egg breakfast, make sure you save the shells to use in your garden. “Then there are wool pellets,” Emma continues. “These are really effective, but you have to water them really generously so they create a really thick barrier.”
Emma also said she had used ashes from old fires around her pumpkin plants and found it to be “really effective”, adding: “The ash is also really good for the soil so it really kills two birds with one stone.”
The gardener has also tried using “beer traps,” which she said “are very effective at catching and killing slugs,” but admitted that she “doesn't like killing slugs,” so this is a “last resort” for her, as it could potentially catch other critters. But if you want to try this trick for yourself, you can plant an old bottle in the soil and pour beer into it to attract the critters.
And Emma shared her “favourite” trick: using storch (a type of damp hay). “Putting a thick layer of storch on top of the bed creates a barrier to keep bugs out, but it's also really effective at keeping the bed moist,” she explained.
On Amazon you can buy two 9kg bags of Strulch for £24.75, while two 3.5l bags of wool pellets are £14.90.
Have you tried any of these tips? Let us know in the comments below.
