Slug control

don't let them beat you!

By Melanie from Lower Roedale and Enid from Waverley Crescent

Slugs are the bane of every gardeners life.  Did you know that in one season each slug can eat up to 0.8kg of leaves!

But there ARE ways to tackle them.

• Slugs hide in dark, moist areas - regularly check under any weed suppression fabric - you might find them hiding there, or tucked down beside the wooden edges of your beds.  Don't leave decaying matter on your beds (eg fallen brassica leaves) as these make great slug hiding places too.  Keep your plot clear of "slug hotels" (waste wood, stones, buckets, pots, plastic bags - all cool damp places the slugs love)Generally - the tidier your plot, the fewer places there will be for them to hide!    ;
• Keep weeds down - use your hoe regularly - especially in spring and early summer, as slugs will hight under the weeds;
• learn to recognise slug eggs (small and white), and their breeding places; and destroy!
• use beer traps, or half grapefruits (slugs love them both) - but remember they must be emptied or removed regularly;
• sprinke oat bran around your plants - slugs love it but it expands inside them and kills them;
• nematodes are a parasite that can be watered into the ground and kill off slugs.  However they can be expensive for large areas and have to be reapplied every couple of months;
• attract hedgehogs, birds and frogs to your plot and they will make a meal of the slugs;
• Crushed eggshells, Soot, diatomaceous earth, grit, sand and anything else sharp are also recommended barrier methods (see below for more on eggshells).
• Save your eggshells. Rinse them, spread them onto a baking sheet, and put them at the bottom of a warm oven after you’ve cooked a meal, and while the oven is cooling. When cold, put them into a bag and crush them.  Store them in a screw top container and use to sprinkle around tender plants for example salad crops, beans etc to deter slugs and snails, or you can mix into your compost as a valuable source of calcium.

Good luck!