Gardeners are being urged not to use slug pellets in their gardens this spring or summer due to the damage they can cause to all sorts of wildlife beyond slugs and snails.
Slugs are a headache for gardeners every year, mobilising every time it rains, as well as every evening under cover of darkness, to attack and chew away plants, flowers, crops, fruits and vegetables. That’s why every year, gardeners at their wit’s end at the mollusc invasions turn to all sorts of slug hacks, slug tips and slug repellent tricks to try to stop slugs and snails from attacking their gardens.
But now, garden experts are urging gardeners not to use slug pellets this year because of the knock-on effect they can have on other things in your garden.
Ecological experts Arbtech said: “Though used by many gardeners in order to protect plants from slug damage, the pellets may actually cause more problems than they solve in your garden.
“The main ingredient in slug repellents is toxic to other garden wildlife, including hedgehogs and birds.
“Even slug pellets labelled as ‘organic’ contain ingredients which could be fatal to other wildlife. Slug pellets in your garden could also be harmful to your pets, as consumption in large quantities could be toxic.
“We urge gardeners to use natural repellents, including crushed eggshells or coffee grounds, which can be spread around plants to repel slugs.”
It added that there’s also other ways to stop slugs, including ‘slug proof plants’.
Arbtech continued: “You can also choose slug-proof plants. Opt for native species which can cope with slugs or species with adaptations like spiky leaves, thin leaves, woolly surfaces or strong aromas. These can deter slugs and snails and make eating the plant difficult.”
Gardeners have also been told they cannot use older slug pellets which were banned a few years ago. Pellets containing the metaldehyde chemical have been banned in the UK and it’s illegal to use or store these pellets, so homeowners are being told to check their sheds for any old pellets which no longer follow correct regulations.