Just like vinegar and water or lemon juice and water are excellent options for pest control in our gardens, mixing garlic and water in a spray bottle acts as a strong repellent for
Slugs love citrus, so don't throw away your orange or lemon rinds. Instead put them in your garden to bait the slugs and snails away from your plants. In the morning, check your peels to see if any slugs or snails are on them, and remove these from your garden.
Scent. Slugs seem also to be put off by the strong scent of Lavendula (Lavender), Rosemarinus (Rosemary), Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel) and Phlox paniculate (Perennial phlox). There are so many plants that slugs simply can't stomach. In fact, that you could plant your entire garden with slug-hated plants.
There are a handful of plants which are believed to be a natural repellent for slugs. What you need: Slug repelling plants “ Living Green suggest that wormwood, rue, fennel, anise, and rosemary are the best slug repelling plants.
Line your borders with upturned eggshells. The sharp edges will stop slugs sliding past as they don't like the feeling. Create a rough area around your plants with sand or gravel to make it harder for the slugs to reach the plants they have their hungry eyes on.
Nematodes are the best way to kill slugs naturally – simply water onto the soil around your plants and let them get to work. Salt kills slugs naturally, however, it takes a lot of salt and should not be applied near your plants. Other methods to kill slugs naturally include beer traps and vinegar sprays.
1) Crushed eggshells/gravel/woodchip or mulch Molluscs don't like travelling over rough ground, so if they sense sharp edges, you can use this texture to deter them. 2) Coffee grounds. Slugs don't like the bitter taste of coffee grounds. Sprinkle coffee grounds on the soil around your plants to deter them.
Some birds, frogs, toads, hedgehogs, slow-worms and ground beetles eat slugs and these predators should be encouraged in gardens. Raking over soil and removing fallen leaves during winter can allow birds to eat slug eggs that have been exposed.
Garlic, Lawn Chamomile, chives. Some plants repel most slugs and snails and these may have a deterrent effect when planted alongside or used to make an extract. Many gardeners swear by garlic as a natural pest control. Some say chives are effective it the leaves are tied around vulnerable plants; sounds fiddly.
Slugs and snails are attracted to the yeasty smell, and will drown when submerged in alcohol. Yeast and water can also be used to attract snails and slugs, but they will not drown in the solution.
As vinegar is mildly acidic, it will kill any snails or slugs it touches. However, vinegar is toxic to vegetation, so only spray snails or slugs that haven't yet reached your plants.
Actually any yeasty, sweet liquid will attract them, so keep the beer for yourself and make a gooey brew that the slugs will find delicious by mixing equal parts flour and water with a heaping spoonful of molasses, a sprinkling of cornmeal, and a teaspoon of yeast.
Slugs love citrus! Buy inexpensive oranges or grapefruit (you don't need the nicest fruit) for slug traps, or use rinds left over after you've squeezed some orange juice. Leave the citrus halves near vulnerable plants — the slugs usually hop off the hostas and hustle over to investigate this new offering.
Powdery barriers: ash, lime, sawdust
Very dry and alkaline barriers, such as continuous lines of sawdust or ash, provide a dry surface which slugs avoid²⁴. Other natural repellents include wood ash, hydrated lime, diatomaceous earth, sawdust, wood ash.
Hostas, delphiniums and vegetables of all kinds enjoy soil with a fairly high pH. Thus, if you sweeten your soil, slugs will most definitely avoid your garden. The best cure for slug-inviting acidic soil is lime.
Sprinkle salt
Sprinkling salt on slugs will kill them, but avoid sprinkling it too much as plants are also adversely affected by an excess of salt. It's therefore best used when far away from valuable plants.
Slugs also sparked a debate over whether they are dangerous to touch and harm humans. The answer is yes. They might appear to be innocent and touchable, but they carry a variety of parasites. The most common is the rat lungworm or Angiostrongylus cantonensis, and its infection can lead to severe issues.
Bare hoed beds or deep beds - pros and cons
Mulches attract slugs with food and shelter and they also shelter many slug predators. Bare beds make their lives hazardous if they are regularly hoed. Barriers are easier to use on bare beds, but not impossible on deep mulch beds.
Gardeners are urged not to kill slugs and snails or resort to pest control pellets this summer to help save wildlife. The gastropods are often branded as pests by keen gardeners for nibbling holes through leaves of vegetables, fruits and plants.
Slugs and snails hide in damp places during the day. They stay under logs and stones or under ground cover. They also hide under planters and low decks. At night they come out to eat.
In another study, coffee has shown to reduce the number of slugs by up to 90%. Overall, coffee grounds are a safe and effective way to deter snails and other pests. If you have a problem with these creatures in your garden, spread some coffee grounds around and see if it makes a difference.
Moisture: Slugs need a moist environment to survive, and they are attracted to areas where they can find water or dampness. It could include leaky pipes, damp basements, or areas around your house where water collects. Vegetation: Slugs are herbivores and feed on a variety of plants.
Slugs are nocturnal and feed at night when we can't see them. They prefer cool, dark, moist hiding places during the day. Cool, wet spring conditions are ideal for slugs, resulting in early, serious damage to plants.
Some gardeners swear by homemade snail and slug repellents. This are made by mixing garlic or coffee grounds into water in a spray bottle.