How to get rid of slugs and snails in the garden, is one of the most asked questions, especially by people gardening in wetter climates. They can cause huge amounts of damage as they eat up your plants.
Check the internet and you will find plenty of home remedies and DIY projects for getting rid of slugs and snails. The problem is that most of them either don’t work or have a limited effect on slugs. What does work?
Household ammonia is reported to be great for controlling slugs. Some people spray the slugs directly and apparently it kills them. Others spray plants so slugs stop eating them. Spraying soil is also a common method of controlling slugs and snails.
Do these methods work?
Ammonia is a strong cleaning agent and it surprises me that spraying it on plants will not harm them, but maybe the dilution used is low enough to prevent damage. If that is true, what is the ‘safe’ dilution ratio?
The claim is that slugs and snails are attracted to cornmeal and after eating it, the cornmeal expands and kills them. What a simple organic method for getting rid of slugs, but does it work?
Slugs, slugs, slugs – everybody wants to get rid of the slugs. What about diatomaceous earth? Apparently, the sharp edges in diatomaceous earth cut the bellies of slugs, and they bleed out and die. Diatomaceous earth is used effectively for controlling insects, so maybe it works on slugs. Time for an experiment.
Eggshells control slugs, according to most books, and all kinds of gardening experts. Slugs and snails can be a real problem in the garden, eating all those precious plants. It seems to be a constant battle and eggshells are routinely recommended.
Do they really work?
In the two previous posts I looked at ways to use Coffee Grounds in the Garden and the effect of coffee grounds on ants. There was one outstanding question that did not get resolved. Do coffee grounds deter slugs from eating your plants? Since I could not find any scientific work on this topic I decided to run some tests myself.
Photo Source: All About Slugs
Coffee Grounds have a reputation for solving all kinds of garden problems. It is claimed that they reduce the number of diseases, ward off insects, fertilize the soil, and even keep slugs from eating your plants. Let’s have a look at the truth behind coffee grounds.
It is getting warmer and the Hostas are growing. It is time for the slugs and snails to come out and do their damage. There is a lot of advice on the net on how to get rid of slugs and snails including; beer traps, diatomaceous earth, egg shells, salt and copper tape. I’ve examined copper tape in How to Get Rid of Slugs with Copper. In this post I will look at killing slugs with beer.
Slugs in the garden can be a huge problem and apparently copper is a good slug repellent. If you encircle your plants with copper tape, it will keep the slugs out. It must work – since there are a number of copper tape products on the market designed to get rid of slugs. But does this really work?
