been forced to wage war against these destructive creatures and for those in problem zones, the effort can seem endless. After the temperatures rise and April showers descend, especially after a wet winter, there can be an exponential explosion in the number of slugs lying in wait to eat your precious seedlings. While still small, the slugs that come out at this time of year can still do a surprising amount of damage. This is a good time of year to try to get on top of your slug and snail problem once and for all. If you find yourself pitched in battle against these pests in your garden, here are some tips to help you rid yourself of this slimy problem:
Barriers:
Individual
seedlings and new raised beds can be saved from a slug invasion by
means of barriers that will physically prevent or will deter the
slugs from reaching your plants. Copper tape, wire or pennies can
give slugs that try to cross a mild and irritating shock. Anything
sharp and jagged such as crushed recycled ceramic products on the
market, or baked eggshells, for example, have also been found to be
effective by some gardeners. You can also collar susceptible
seedlings with a plastic collar made from an old drinks bottle, milk
bottle or similar. There are plenty of barrier type defences against
slugs, though it has to be said that none is 100% effective.
Traps:
As
with barriers, traps are not 100% effective. While a beer trap or
half a grapefruit on your border will attract slugs, of course you
then have to collect and kill them which is rather unpleasant. Also,
by trapping and collecting all your slugs, you could, paradoxically,
end up with a problem that just gets worse. There will be no slugs
for predators to eat, so predators will move away – so when the
slug population rebounds and inevitably comes back, it will come back
with a vengeance and there will be fewer creatures to help you keep
the numbers down.
Biological Controls:
Biological controls such as parasitic nematodes, will definitely reduce slug numbers for a crucial period and it is certainly an organic method, simply adding in greater numbers something already found in the soil in your garden, that will return to normal levels after a few weeks. But this can only ever be a short-term fix. As above, getting rid of slugs in your garden could actually make the numbers of slugs grow without check in the future. Creating a vacuum will allow for the perfect conditions for an explosion in slug numbers.
Balance:
When
it comes to controlling the slug population in your garden, balance
and biodiversity are key. In fact, creating a healthier and more
balanced ecosystem is really the only way to address a slug problem
in the long term. When the garden ecosystem is balanced, predators
will naturally stop the slug population from getting out of control.
While other methods can provide short term fixes, the best things you
can do to combat slugs is create a garden with brush, wood piles, a
wildlife pond and beneficial planting to encourage hedgehogs, frogs
and other predators to your garden. Chickens or ducks can also make a
healthy addition to your garden and can also help keep slug numbers
down.