Wondering how to avoid slugs and snails in the garden, like many gardeners, is a common gardening problem. First and foremost, it is worth remembering that slugs and snails have been recognised as beneficial to gardens and are no longer classed as garden pests. Although if they are nibbling away at your precious plants, you may feel otherwise.
To stop them from munching on your plants, a gardening enthusiast has shared a nifty hack that “works instantly”. Taking to the Gardening UK Facebook page, Tracey King tested out the garlic tip and saw a snail turn away from where she sprayed the solution.
She wrote: “Something very exciting tonight. So I was spraying my hostas after it’s gone dark and saw one snail on its way. I sprayed the garlic solution in front of it, and the snail turned away.
“I thought I would try a bit more to see what happens. So I did it again in front of it and a bigger area, and the snail turned away again and avoided the whole area covered with garlic spray.”
Garlic contains a compound called Allicin, which can scare slugs and snails off. Using a simple garlic spray can help protect your plants from being devoured.
Plus, it’s safe for humans, pets, and beneficial wildlife—perfect for those mindful of their garden’s ecosystem.
Sharing the entire process of this hack, Tracey explained: “I put one chopped garlic glove into 500ml warm water, and start to use it after leaving it overnight.”
She added that this is her “favourite way to get rid of snails and slugs”.
Tracey continued: “I left it outdoors where no direct sunshine, with the garlic in, and put it in a spray bottle when I needed it. Don’t know how long you could keep it, as I am new to it. But I made mine two weeks ago.”
One group member in the comments section pointed out that the garlic solution can last for a year if stored correctly. Hazel Taylor wrote: “I’ve kept garlic spray from one year to the next and it still works – if kept somewhere cool.”