Slugs and snails are active for most of the year but are a particular problem from February when there’s plenty of young growth for them to eat.
Slugs and snails are mostly active after dark, especially when it’s warm and damp.
They are present in large numbers and can quickly eat and destroy a wide range of plants.
Garden snails and slugs eat vegetables and ornamental plants, especially seedlings and those with young and soft leaves.
While slugs and snails have been recognised as beneficial to gardens and are no longer classed as garden pests, when they nibble away at precious plants, you may feel otherwise.
Garden retailer Thompson’s has shared how to avoid slugs and snails in gardens – and that’s to use garlic.
They said: “One of the best ways that are backed by some of the most expert breeders and growers is the garlic and water solution.
“It is a natural way to deter both slugs and snails, which won’t do any harm to the environment.”
To make this homemade spray, start by boiling two full bulbs of garlic in a saucepan of water.
Squash the bulbs down to get as much of the garlic juice out as you can.
Pour the moisture through a sieve and dilute it to spray or water your plants using two tablespoons in five litres of water.
Gardeners should look to use this spray once a week and after rainfall if they want the best results.
According to experts at multi-award winning specialist hosta grower Sienna Hosta, they love to use a garlic wash as a slug deterrent around their nursery.
They recommend gardeners keep spraying the water weekly from now until October. After that slugs and snails remain less active.
Store the water outside in a cool dry place or in the fridge. The same batch can be used throughout the season.
Garlic bulbs are cheap to pick up from the supermarkets. Two garlic bulbs cost 48p at Sainsbury’s and a pack of two retail for 68p at M&S.
