A slug infestation is the last thing you want to find in your home or garden at any time of year, especially in the winter when there’s less time to check for damaged plants in daylight.
These slimy creatures are mostly nocturnal, so you will not see them moving around your home during the day, but waking up to find a shimmering trail over floors is a tell-tale sign they’re indoors seeking food and warmth.
Officially known as a soft-bodied mollusc, slugs are attracted to dark, damp refuges such as vents and drains. They will likely leave a trace on the floor, and you may also notice glistening trails on your walls where slugs were active the previous night.
As for spotting slug activity in your garden, look out for nibbled holes on plant leaves, fruits and slimy trails that show where they’ve emerged from.
Tackling unwanted pests like slugs can seem like a losing battle because they’re almost impossible to locate during the day. But pest control expert Edris Latifi, owner of Eco Care Pest Management, says the answer could be in your kitchen cupboard.
How to get rid of slugs
He suggests rethinking drastic measures, like professional pest control, and first trying some everyday ingredients. One of those is coffee.
Coffee
Ground coffee can do wonders for saving plants that slugs may have taken a liking to. It is proven useful when sprinkled around your plants, and Edris suggests that you just leave the coffee grounds to get to work.
It should be noted that “the higher the caffeine concentration the more effective it will be”, said Edris.
Petroleum Jelly
Due to petroleum jelly’s slippery texture, it can be a great way to prevent slugs from gripping a surface and getting into plants, flowers, or parts of your home.
Apply the balm to the band around the rim of your flower and plant pots and even the stalk of your plants to keep slugs from gripping and chewing through your plants.
For indoor hotspots, line the area around drains and vents with vaseline to trap slugs.
Eggshells
Another waste ingredient, egg shells, can be used in your garden to banish slugs. According to Edirs, these are “a great option as slugs don’t like moving across jagged objects.”
This remedy requires little effort. Simply break up an empty eggshell into small pieces and place them around flowers and plants to keep them free from slug damage.
This method can benefit your plants too as the calcium from the eggshell also helps to enrich the soil as it decomposes.
Nutshells
Similar to eggshells, broken nutshells work in the same way to deter slugs. Follow the same approach by breaking up the nutshells into small pieces and creating a protective barrier around your plants.
Seaweed
This item is less likely to be in your cupboard, but it’s easy to find in supermarkets. If you have either powdered or fresh seaweed on hand, they are great for getting rid of slugs.
Place the seaweed around the plants and areas you want to keep slug-free and let the high salt content work its magic.
