Hey Mary Mary Quite Contrary, how does your garden grow? ‘Cause the word on the Slug Street is that your garden is mighty delicious. What’s that? You already knew this because your lettuce leaves look more like swiss cheese than salad? Hey, that’s just the way slugs say “thank you” for all your hard work and effort digging in the dirt this year.
But if their “gratitude” isn’t exactly what you welcome, and you’re looking for a solution, wait to use the bait until you hear this: The most currently licensed and available pesticides include Metaldehyde, which has been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as “a slightly toxic compound that may be fatal to dogs or other pets if eaten.” Not exactly what you want on your food? Try this alternative and get your garden growing!
Concern Diatomaceous Earth Insect Killer: Diatomaceous Earth is finely ground fossils of prehistoric fresh water diatoms, which are hard-shelled algae. This not only will keep slugs away, but also kills household and garden pests like cockroaches, ants, fleas, beetles and many other crawling insects. When slugs come in contact with diatomaceous earth, it is abrasive to their skin and leaves small cuts, causing dehydration.
A couple other options that you may already have around the house:
1) Create your own Beer Garden: It’s a little known fact that these soft slippy pests are actually lushes. Perhaps you never partied with them in college, but don’t take it personally (especially since slugs are hermaphrodites and they all have male and female reproductive systems. i.e., they can mate with themselves!). It’s never to late to invite them to a little personal party. Pour some beer in a saucer, flower pot, ash tray etc etc and leave partially buried near the plants. Slugs will be attracted to the beer and will drown. A recent survey of all partying slugs revealed that they like Budweiser, Bud light, Coors light, Michelob, and Old Milwaukee the best. Who knew!?
2) Feel like cooking up a tasty slug treat? Try this recipe for Spearmint-Hot Pepper-Horseradish Spray from Essortment, which we recently used in a community garden and it seems to be doing the trick!
Take:
1/2 cup of red peppers (hot)
water (read below)
1/2 cup of fresh spearmint
1/2 cup horseradish (root and leaves)
2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap
1/2 cup green onion tops
Mix everything but the liquid dish soap together with enough water. Strain the solution. After mixing all of these, add a half-gallon of water and add the liquid dish soap also. To use this solution, mix 1/2 gallon of this solution with 1/2 gallon of water. You can use this to spray almost any plant safely. Store this mixture for a few days in a cool environment.
Best of luck, you green thumb you!
