Bargain £3 buy to keep slugs at bay and what to banish from your home to rid them for good
SLUGS are a common nuisance in autumn due to the damp weather.
Rainy days are prime time for slugs to start looking for new hiding places, so here are some tips to prevent them finding a way into your home.
According to OnlineCarpets, Britain has been crowned the ‘Slug Capital of the World’.
Each cubic metre of soil contains a whopping 200 slugs, on average.
The household experts have pulled together a list of their top 5 natural ways to stop slugs entering your house this autumn.
One effective slug deterrent includes a household item you may already have stocked in your kitchen cupboard.
Seal any gaps
Slugs are invertebrates.
That means without a backbone or a shell to hold them back, they’re super soft and able to fit through the tiniest of spaces.
Check your home for any cracks or gaps in your windows and door frames that may need resealing.
Take a good look around the entry points of your home, starting with the doors and then the ground-floor windows and use an appropriate sealant to block out any gaps you find.
Condensation
Condensation is a slugs best friend.
They thrive in moisture, so slugs will be aiming to find any damp spot they can.
Whether that’s leaky pipes, or condensation build-up around your patio doors, they will slither their way to finding it.
Those who live in older homes may be more likely to suffer from invading slugs due to their original wall construction.
Investing in items such as damp traps or dehumidifiers can be a great way to rid your home of excessive moisture.
Believe it or not, slugs have great smell detectors, so be sure to clear out any leftover food, or pet food that may be attracting them.
Here is a five-second hack will stop condensation forming for less than 95p.
Copper Tape
Copper is a slugs kryptonite.
They’re are sensitive to copper due to the Hemocyanin proteins present in their anatomy.
If slugs stay near copper for too long, it can prevent oxygen from moving around their body.
Home owners fighting the invasion of slugs will be happy to know that slugs will avoid crossing copper for this reason.
This makes copper tape an excellent deterrent that can be easily and cheaply applied to any entryways or window seals where slugs often enter our homes.
It’s important to note that copper tape will need to be cleaned regularly with vinegar to prevent tarnishing, ensuring it remains effective against slugs.
Lavender
Slugs cannot stand strong-smelling plants.
Lavender has very low toxicity to humans, making it an ideal choice when it comes to repelling slugs from your home.
Other popular choices include rosemary.
Strategically place lavender at your home’s entry points, to create a perfumed barrier against slugs.
Better still, another easy and cost effective solution would be to mix up some lavender oil into a spray bottle and spray on the surfaces inside and outside your home, paying particular attention to your floors and entry points.
Coffee beans
Coffee is not the way slugs like to start their day, in fact they hate it, making it one of the best repellants.
All you’ll need to do is sprinkle some coffee grounds at your home’s entryways, to let slugs know they’re not welcome.
However, be sure to use ground coffee beans – not instant coffee granules.
The higher the caffeine content, the better chance you have at keeping slugs at bay.
Extra strong coffee beans can be purchased from Sainsbury’s for just £3.
Why are there so many slugs in my garden?
ARE you at war with slugs? Are you crying out for help to get rid of them?
Fabulous’ Associate Editor and gardening enthusiast, Rebecca Miller, explores why gardens are overrun with slugs this summer.
“Not only has the lack of sunshine ruined plants, flowers and crops reaching their potential this summer, but the slug invasion is also ruining any chance of success.
“Up and down the country, gardeners are going to war over the army of slugs appearing in their back gardens.
“So why do we have so many slugs this summer? Well, because of the weather – we had a damp spring and arguably the wettest summer on record, which has created a perfect breeding ground for slugs.
“They became ‘active’ earlier in the year, which is why there are so many of them around now.
“As for whether they’re sticking around…that all depends on, yes, you guessed it, the weather!
“We need more sunshine to dry out the ground and soil, and then gardeners need to alter their watering schedules – avoid watering plants at night because the moisture encourages the slimy critters, instead water late in the afternoon, the last few hours of sun sun can dry the top layer of soil.”