Every year, slugs and snails are number one on the list of most common garden pests, says gardening expert Peter Dowdall, aka The Irish Gardener.
Speaking to RSVP, Peter added: “Unfortunately, what most people go for to control slugs and snails is the direst, cheapest, slug pellets on the shelf.
“A lot of these products contain an active ingredient called metaldehyde, which is a formulation of alcohol that is toxic to slugs, it does kill them, but it’s also toxic to the predators of slugs and snails; birds and hedgehogs”.
“Metaldehyde has been banned in several EU countries, including England, but it’s freely available in Ireland. Even if a bird picks up a snail that has been poisoned, it will transfer to the bird”.
As well as killing our nature friends, the pellets are toxic to domestic pets and humans, so “we absolutely should not be spreading these pellets anywhere near where you’re growing lettuce and salad plants etc because it’s poison,” said Peter.
The best way to control any pest problem in a garden is to restore what Peter calls “the natural balance”. Which means maintaining a balance of animals in your garden so you don’t end up with a surplus of any one species.
“In other words, if you have a healthy bird population, or if you live in rural Ireland a healthy hedgehog population, you won’t have a slug problem”.
It’s relatively easy to create a natural balance. Steps like installing bird feeders, bird friendly plants or encouraging hedgehogs to hibernate in your garden will all help.
Non-damaging products to control slugs and snails include beer. Simply buy a slug trap and entice the slimy boogers with some cheap beer, they’re not picky so no point in wasting the good stuff. Then you just empty the trap every couple of days.
“There are slug pellets which are safe to use, which contain the active ingredient ferric phosphate, which as it decomposes is actually a good soil additive. It’s toxic to slugs and snails but not to predators,” says Peter.
Copper tape is another product you can buy to protect your plants and deter slugs. It works like a sellotape, and can be placed around the outside of your plant pot or raised bedding, and works by giving the slug an electric shock.
Wool pellets can also act as a barrier to stop slugs from venturing where you don’t want them. As can eggshells and coffee grounds for a natural, homemade, barrier, however Peter advises eggshells are not all that effective, but can be a good soil additive.
Find out more at theirishgardener.com
