As any gardener knows ... Slugs can cause havoc in your vegetable patch. |
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Here are a few tips on handling a slug problem without using slug poison
Coffee against slugs What are the natural enemies of slugs? If you got enough space for a duck house, you can raise some
Indian runner ducks, but you will need to keep care of them every day. Unfortunately, they make a mess of the garden with their excrement and also tend to eat lettuce. How do slugs breed? All slugs need a moist corner to hide in. In the day time,
they hide in crevices in the earth and underneath moss, loose stones, paving stones or planks etc. and unfortunately in compost heaps too. Slugs also like to lay their eggs in compost.
What is the best way and the best place to collect and destroy slugs and slug eggs? You can also use a beer trap to
catch slugs: Half bury a yoghurt jar and fill it with beer. The slugs are attracted by the beer, fall in and drown. Empty the trap in the morning. You shouldn't use beer
traps regularly since they attract slugs from up to 200 yards away, e.g. from the neighbours. Another way of catching slugs is to create artificial hiding places, e.g. by putting a wooden plank in your vegetable
patch. You can then collect the slugs Appropriate soil treatment and the use of mulch As we
have said above, spreading compost and mulch in the garden can actually promote slugs and could even carry slugs into the vegetable patch and provide them with a cosy place to hide during the day. When it's dark they will come out
of hiding and look for anything they can eat. Accordingly, you should only spread mulch (e.g. grass cuttings) after drying it somewhat and when the soil is fairly dry. You can also use bark mulch around bushes and for flower
beds, although it only protects against slugs when it is fairly dry.
Slugs don't like eating aromatic plants and herbs. So it is helpful to plant lavender, rosemarine, artemisia, thyme, sage, oregano and hairy plants such as borrage and geraniums which can also be applied to the beds as mulch. Keeping out slugs with a slug fence The Hanover slug fence is made of galvanized steel (the same material as drain pipes). It is very robust and should normally last for 10 to 15 years.
The following picture shows one of the corner pieces of the Hanover slug fence: Click here for more pictures and more information on slug fences. |
Hanover Slug Fence Home |