Natural Snail/Slug Control
August 6, 2008 by Marye Audet
Filed under Home & Living
This is a problem that almost everyone who gardens faces. Snails and slugs can put an end to some of your best plants overnight. It is really irritating to have your eye on an almost ripe strawberry, allow it to ripen for one more night, and have it half eaten in the morning.
There are several things you can do that have nothing to do with chemicals or poisons.
First is to change the way you water. You see, snails like moisture. If you water at night the area around the plant will hold more moisture and the snails will thrive. If you water in the morning it will dry up a bit by night time.
Next…Beer. Bury a wide mouth jar up to it’s neck in the dirt, and add about 1/ inch of beer on the bottom. Snails and slugs witll be drawn to it and fall in and drown. But they will die happy.
Seaweed is a natural snail deterrent. I am not sure why but it works.
Diatomaceous Earth is good for everything. It kills snails and slugs because of the sharpness of the particles. They dehydrate.
You can also sprinkle coarse cornmeal around the plants. Slugs have very sensitive skin and dislike the feel of the cornmeal.
Keep your garden clean from debris, and things cause moist areas. Keep in mind that snails and slugs like dark, damp places so keep your garden light and dry.
Image:Morguefile
Wow- I’d never heard of using seaweed!
“Sharp” things like eggshells and large piece of cedar mulch seemed to help keep slugs/snails away from our landscaping at our previous house. (Probably a similar effect as the cornmeal?)
Blessings,
Michele
I bet so, Michele. I always used cornmeal..
When we lived in Pa. when I was a child my dad bough cocoa hulls from Hershey to mulch with..I don;t know if you can still do that but not only did the snails hate it..it smelled GREAT
Thanks Marye! You listed a bunch of things that could work in my garden. I will switch to morning watering asap. and I’m pretty sure I have some cornmeal handy.
Good luck Fern!
I have slugs on the north side of our home all night because of the moisture. I’m going to try putting cornmeal on the perimeter of the house tonight. Any other suggestions would be helpful!
How about salt? I know it dehydrates them!?
Janet, the salt will kill any plants or grass that you have in the area, so is not a good idea. Diatamaceous earth is a good remedy for slugs adn it builds up the soil.