Slime trails , slime trails , everywhere . In your veg and shaded areas . On your beds and in your plants , these slimed gadfly will ruin the draw !
But do slugs and gardeners always have to be foe ?
While biff are usually deliberate a pest among most gardener , they do have some quality that we can utilize so that they become a friend rather than a foe .
In this clause , we ’ll uncover the pros and cons of having slug in your garden .
If you ’re still hell - bent on disembarrass your garden of the slug population after weigh up the pros and cons , we also provide 6 ways to deal slugs in your garden .
Are Slugs Good For Plants & Gardens?
Most gardener have made up their mind : slug have to go . But are these destructive gadfly all regretful ? Let ’s find out out !
Pros of Having Slugs in Your Garden
Despite what many people believe , there are some positive degree to have slugs in your garden .
For example , they ’re decomposers . They clean up dead plant materialand other garden dust , so you do n’t have to !
Some of the larger bullet mostly eat only decay constitutional thing , making them a valuable summation to your garden .
This is especially true if you ’ve got dead farewell lie in around or a load of constituent subject in your compost sight that needs moil down !
Slugs also fertilise your garden for detached !
Their faeces are rich in nitrogen , calcium , daystar and atomic number 19 , which will ooze into your grime and act as a natural fertiliser .
what is more , slug predatory animal love them !
Slugs are a majuscule solid food root for various lovable garden fauna , such as salientian , porcupine , and domesticated animals like duck and goof .
Bird species such as robins , blackbirds , and thrushes also serve as excellent slug huntsman , particularly if you lure them in with other attractions such as a birdbath or feeder .
And finally , type slug can leave insights into your garden ’s health .
type slug prefer higher - humidness environment as it . When the relative humidity is 65 % or above , you ’ll likely see lots of slugs around , but only if your soil moisture levels are sound !
In this way , you may expend the presence or absence of slug to get information about your grunge timbre .
Moist soil = slugs , dry soil = no biff !
However , there are tidy sum of other ( more reliable ) ways to do this , so I would n’t urge this as your only testing method !
Cons of Having Slugs in Your Garden
Okay , we ’ve been nice to the garden poke and covered the pro . Now , onto the bad bits . What kind of damage do slugs do ?
As you could see , feature slugs in your garden has far more cons than pro . Slug hurt is a real problem for gardeners .
So , how can you manage slug in your garden ?
6 Ways to Manage Slugs in Your Garden
Still ca n’t stomach these lifelike predators after considering all factors ? rent ’s think about some of the best slug control condition methods !
1. Create a Slug Beer Trap
Want an in force fashion to trap slugs in your garden so they ca n’t induce works damage ? Then taste the slug beer trap method ! This handy type slug ambush lures slugs in and then traps them inside so they ca n’t get at your plants .
Simply rule a wide , shallow container and some cheap beer . If you want to go the extra stat mi , source a lid with holes and garden stakes . Here ’s what you need to do :
Now , simply monitor your beer bunker and empty it when necessary ! Slugs are typically more dynamic early and late in the day , so check your ambuscade after these times !
2. Deter Them With Grapefruit Halves
Citrus fruits like Citrus paradisi are the complete innate pest dominance method for those of you on a budget , as they cost next to nothing , and you may even have them rest around your kitchen !
slug love citrous fruit fruit – they ’ll pick out these over herbaceous plants any day ! This makes them a great baulk , stay fresh your other plant , as well as the slugs , happy !
3. Try the Ol’ Soapy Water Trick
Soapy water supply can be used in many ways in your garden , including as an in effect way eliminate slug . Dish max damages a slug ’s protective mucus layer , make desiccation which stool it difficult for them to bring forth slime and move around .
just satiate a container or bucket with soapy water to the proportion of 15 ml goop to 4.5 litres of water . Mix it together slowly so as not to create too many bubble , then spray your plants with the soapy solution . Give your plant a good coating ; otherwise , it ’s unconvincing to deter those pesky slugs !
If the solution above is n’t puzzle out , increase the amount of dish grievous bodily harm you ’re putting in – that should do the trick !
4. Lay Down Coffee Grounds
deep brown evidence are one of the best organic poke lure as they act as in several ways .
They have a slightly acidic pH , which can cause slug irritation if they crawl across the soil open .
Coffee ’s high nitrogen message also dries out the slug , making it difficult for them to move .
lastly , slugs detest the grain of coffee ground ! Consider the coarse texture umber priming coat have , then recollect about the wretched surface of slugs – the two do n’t go well together !
Unlike chemical , store - bought lure like metaldehyde baits , coffee grounds are n’t harmful to other species of wildlife , so they ’re the perfect choice .
Simply sprinkle used burnt umber ground on vulnerable region of your garden , like your veg patch and flush bed , then summate more when it rains .
READ NEXT : compost With Coffee Grounds – beneficial For Plants or Just a Fad ?
5. Shock Slugs With Copper Tape
Many gardener will have heard of the bull tape slug deterrent method . atomic number 29 taping render slugs a mild electric shock when they crawl across it , so it bring as a instinctive aversion !
To try this method , bribe slug - repellent copper tape ( not just any old copper mag tape ! ) , then wedge it down on a clean , dry surface . For representative , the KO’d border of a plant tummy , the wooden edging of a raised bed , or the terrace tile on which your pots posture !
Top peak : You ’ll feel bull tape is most effective in places like raised layer , containers , and pots because it can completely cordon off these field . It may be more difficult to track the whole of your garden perimeter in pig magnetic tape !
6. Use a Yeast Mixture
Slugs are pull in to the C dioxide a barm mixture gives off when it ’s fermenting , so yeast is another slap-up option to keep slugs off of your favourite plant .
So , how do you do it ?
You could also utilise the yeast mixture to create a slug ambush just like the beer trap remark earlier ! only produce the barm miscellanea , then pullulate it into a container in the priming coat !
Are slug good for your plant & garden ? The general consensus would belike be : no . While having slug in your garden does have some professional , the cons far outweigh these .
However , all is n’t lost ! you may successfully keep slugs away from your plants by create a beer trap , using organic come-on like coffee ground or Citrus paradisi half , shocking them with Cu tape recording , or apply soapy piss or an active yeast mixture to your darling plant .
If you enjoy this article and desire to learn more about common garden blighter , you ’ll love our clause on13 Common Garden Pests & How to Keep Them Out !
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