THE WARM and wet weather is the perfect conditions for slugs, with the persistent pest chomping away at gardeners precious plants.
Fruit and veg are all targets for slugs who emerge at night to eat leaves.
Slugs will chop leaves and destroy the plants chance of growing big and strong[/caption]
They love the night and high humidity but hide during the day.
With wet weather forecast for the weekend, gardeners are preparing for super slug damage.
There are a number of DIY slug hacks all gardeners have tried, including cucumber, tea towels and copper tape.
We can’t wait to try this low-cost, 100% organic hack from the King’s senior gardener Jack Stook.
The organic and home-made slug catcher has the royal seal of approval – but with a paupers price tag.
All you’ll need are some common kitchen ingredients and a container.
How to create your DIY slug trap
To create your DIY slug trap you’ll need some yeast and sugar, and a container to create your slug trap.
To save money, you can use the base of a bottle with the top cut off.
Simply mix a tablespoon of yeast and a tablespoon of sugar to water and pour into the container.
When you’re done, bury the container in the soil with the lid exposed to catch any slugs sliding by.
How does the DIY slug trap work?
It works, because slugs are attracted to the yeast.
By mixing yeast, sugar and water you create a frothy and fermented mixture that slugs love.
This hack is so popular because it’s low cost and creates no waste.
OK, so keen gardeners will spot that it’s not entirely new.
Gardeners have been using the beer trap for centuries. Slugs have always preferred the leftovers of a pint to precious plants.
This DIY slug hack achieves the same result – but saves you from cracking open a can.
Leave the container exposed for the evening and you’ll come back to your very own slug pub in the morning.
The smell of the fermenting liquid can prove hugely popular so don’t be surprised if you wake to see a container full of drunk critters.
You can remove the slugs and replace the mixture as often as you need to.
Your outdoor beast brewery is cheaper and better than pouring away good beer.
It’s a DIY slug trap that we can all raise a toast to.
Save beer and kill slugs with this organic gardening hack[/caption]
Why having slugs in your garden is a good thing
Yes, they chomp your precious plants, but having slugs in your garden should be celebrated.
Rebecca Miller, Associate Editor for Fabulous, and novice gardener, believes we should work in harmony with slugs and not try to get rid of them altogether.
“We’ve been conditioned as a society to believe we must have gardens with straight edges, short lawns with pretty stripes and perfect borders with flowers constantly blooming.
But unruly hedgerows, abundance of tall wildflowers buzzing with insects, and bugs and slugs galore in flowerbeds is totally natural – and necessary.
I understand that your plants might be very precious to you, but we need slugs and snails. They provide food for all sorts of mammals, birds, slow worms, earthworms, insects – and they are part of the natural balance.
By removing them, we upset the ecosystem and can do a lot of harm – thrushes in particular thrive on them!
It is said British Gardeners use some 650 billion slug pellets per year! Please find a natural alternative – the poison from slug pellets enters the food chain and can kill hedgehogs, who consider slugs and snails as a tasty treat.
If you’re truly desperate, consider using Diatomaceous Earth – it is a naturally occurring compound approved for organic use, that can be used for pest control.
And while you’re at it, challenge yourself to grow “sacrificial plants”.
Sacrificial planting, commonly known as trap cropping, is the deliberate act of growing plants to attract pests. Pick a slugs favourite vegetable or ornamental plant for them to nibble on, and they will leave your more precious plants alone.”
What happens to the slugs?
The slugs in your DIY trap will drown in fermenting liquid (but it’s not a bad way to go).
If you’re searching for a more humane way to rid your garden of slugs, you can head out at night when it’s wet and humid and collect them in a bucket.
Once you’re happy you’ve got them all, you can take them someone safe, like a grassy or wooded area and set them free.
