How To Remove Slugs & Snails

Do you often find chunks missing out of your favourite plant's leaves with the culprit leaving only a trail of silver? Here are 5 non-toxic ways to fight slugs & snails.

Emma
24 February 2015

Very few gardeners invite slugs & snails into their gardens, apart from being gross, they leave a trail of destruction in their slimy wake. So here are some interesting ways to solve the silver trail pest invasion.

-Set snail traps. Dig a hole in the ground and place a shallow container (tin can or old cup) so that the edges are even with the soil. Beer is a great lure, so add some to the container. The yucky pests smell the beer, come running and fall in (as so often happens when beer is involved).
- The lint from your tumble dryer can be used as a barrier around seedlings and plants. Some gardeners think that hair or fur also is a deterrent.
- Powdered ginger or crushed eggshells placed around plants may also hamper snails, and eggshells have the bonus of adding calcium to the soil. The egg shells have sharp edges which feel unpleasant under the snotty critters soft bodies, so they will avoid climbing over them to get to the plants.
- Some people have used talcum powder, lime, or wood ashes as a barrier. However, if using ashes, don't let it touch the plants. Landscaping materials that may discourage the pests, include wood chips, sand and gravel.
- Ducks and chickens love slugs and snails, although they themselves can leave a trail of destruction if left alone in the garden for too long. Of course they have the added benefit of producing your breakfast!

I hope that helps to keep the pesky critters at bay.

Happy Growing!

 

N.B. This article has been written for Australian gardens. If you're reading this from around the world, we do hope you've found it a useful stepping stone for your own further research.

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