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How to Get Rid of Slugs on Flowers: Effective Control Methods
31.05.2024 17:30
Slugs can be a real nightmare for gardeners.
They eat leaves, stems and flowers, leaving behind unsightly marks and damaged plants.
Getting rid of slugs on flowers is not easy, but there are several proven methods that will help you deal with this problem.
Anastasia Kovrizhnykh, an expert of the online publication "BelNovosti", agronomist and landscape designer, talks about these methods in more detail.
Understanding Slug Behavior
Slugs are active at night and like damp places. They hide under leaves, stones and other shelters during the day and come out at night to look for food.
Knowing their habits helps to effectively combat them, as you can predict their behavior and create unfavorable conditions for their habitation.
Mechanical methods of control
Hand-picking slugs is one of the easiest yet most effective methods.
In the evening or early morning, when slugs are most active, they can be collected and destroyed.
For convenience, you can use gloves and a small container of soapy water.
Another effective method is to set traps. Slugs find shelter under stones, boards or damp rags, and in the morning they can be collected in one place.
Using barriers
Creating barriers around plants helps prevent slugs from entering.
For this, you can use various materials, such as crushed eggshells, coffee or copper tape.
Slugs avoid moving on sharp or unpleasant surfaces.
Copper strips are particularly effective because they create an electrical voltage when they come into contact with slugs.
Use of natural enemies
Natural enemies of slugs are an effective and environmentally friendly method of control.
Toads, frogs, hedgehogs and birds feed on slugs and can significantly reduce their numbers.
Creating conditions that attract these animals to your garden is a good way to naturally control the slug population.
Biological agents
There are biological products such as nematodes that parasitize slugs and kill them.
These microorganisms penetrate the slug's body and cause its death.
Biological products are safe for plants, people and animals, but at the same time effectively reduce the number of pests.
Chemicals
If mechanical and biological methods do not give the desired result, chemical preparations can be used.
Special granules containing metaldehyde help to quickly get rid of slugs.
They need to be scattered around the plants so that the slugs eat the granules and die.
However, caution should be exercised as these medications can be dangerous to pets and beneficial insects.
Keeping the garden clean
Regularly cleaning your garden helps prevent slugs from breeding.
Removing fallen leaves, weeds and other plant debris deprives slugs of shelter and makes their living conditions less comfortable.
It is also worth paying attention to the condition of the soil - loose and well-drained soil is not suitable for slugs to live in.
Using folk remedies
Folk remedies for slug control can also be effective.
Sprinkling the soil around plants with wood ash, watering with garlic infusion or vinegar solution creates unfavorable conditions for slugs.
It is important to remember that such methods require regular repetition to achieve sustainable results.
Preventive measures
Prevention is the best way to combat pests. Proper plant care, regular inspection, and timely action will help avoid problems with slugs.
It is important to monitor soil moisture, avoid overwatering and promptly remove damaged plant parts.
Earlier we talked about how to protect plantings from wireworms.
