It feels like summer has been going on forever, especially with all the heatwaves the UK has experienced. However, autumn is just around the corner, and this period between the two seasons is slugs’ favourite. The mix of lingering warmth and damp patches makes ideal conditions for them to thrive, especially in gardens with lots of moisture and leafy cover.
Around this time of year, slugs often take shelter under plant pots, decaying leaves, or stones as they look for cool, dark hiding spots following the breeding season. Many gardeners turn to slug pellets, but these can harm pets and also pose a risk to birds and hedgehogs that naturally help control slug numbers. But one gardener discovered a much safer and surprisingly effective way to deal with slugs, and it involves planting a flower you might already have in your garden.
Jane, the founder of Snap Dragon Life, shared how she found the solution by accident. “I planted out my rows of carefully nurtured seedlings – cornflowers, marigolds, poppies, cosmos, nigella, snapdragons.
“Within two days the slugs had eaten everything but the snapdragons. Slugs don’t like snapdragons,” she said.
Snapdragons are not only colourful and hardy, but they also contain chemicals that slugs find toxic, though they are harmless to humans.
The plants are also less appealing due to their tough, leathery leaves and low moisture content, making slugs more likely to avoid areas where they are growing.
They can be planted near vulnerable crops such as lettuce and cabbage, or even along paths and fences to help form a natural barrier against slugs.
Jane also recommended a few simple homemade traps that can help tackle larger slug populations.
One of the easiest methods involves beer. “Slugs love beer, any beer, even the terrible beer that people bring to parties, even failed home-brew,” she said.
“Save small jars or pots and bury them up to their necks between where the slugs are likely to be living and your plants.”
The beer lures the slugs in, and once they crawl inside, they struggle to escape and drown. Another effective method involves cereal.
“The only thing better than beer in the mind of a slug is cereal. They can’t resist it,” Jane explained.
She recommended using cheap, own-brand Weetabix-style cereal and placing it between crops and slug hiding spots.
After a few days, the cereal becomes soft and fermented, attracting slugs in large numbers. Jane said she once kept count of the slugs in her garden and stopped after reaching 4,000.
“Simply leave the Weetabix for three days and then go out at night and collect up all the Weetabix that should by now be covered with feasting slugs,” she said.
