Slugs can be a real nuisance when it comes to maintaining your garden. In the UK, slugs have a reputation for destroying your plants, particularly from spring through to autumn.
They flourish in warm, damp conditions and often cause destruction during wet weather. Now after a thunderstorm alert put in place this week, heavy rainfall could potentially attract more slugs to your outdoor space. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to keep them at bay. If you’d rather not coat your plants in chemicals, here’s a homemade remedy you’ll wish you’d discovered sooner — and you won’t need any lemon or vinegar.
A popular content creator, who regularly shares handy tips and tricks on TikTok to his impressive 7.3 million followers, revealed a straightforward four-ingredient mixture that does the job.
The user @creative_explained said in a video: “Did you know if you add a tiny bit of dish soap in a cup, then grab a red onion, dice it up and add it in…
“Dice up three garlic cloves, add them in as well and one jalapeño, boom… now fill this up with some warm water. Give it a mix and let it sit for about 12 hours, then grab a spray bottle and strain out the liquid from this mixture into it…”
He warned his followers this mixture is incredibly potent, making it essential to dilute it with water beforehand. He added: “Give it a shake and boom! We just made a homemade bug spray that’ll stop aphids, gnats, slugs from eating your plants.
“Spray it on your leaves and make sure you get under them… spray around the plant as well. This will also help keep away spider mites. Do it before the sun comes out… that way you won’t burn the leaves.”
The content creator revealed the mixture for anyone wanting to avoid chemicals on their plants. He encouraged followers to ditch pesticides and insecticides altogether.
He concluded: “Just as effective and a lot cheaper in the long run!”
Seal entry points: Ensure you use sealant or chalk to block any gaps or cracks where slugs might squeeze through.
Create physical barriers: Slugs dislike rough and absorbent textures, so sprinkle a line of salt or talcum powder along doorways and entry points.
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Remove anything attracting: Keeping your home dry and clean means slugs have no reason to venture inside. Wipe up spills, store food properly and eliminate any standing water or damp patches.
Set traps: If the problem persists, catch existing indoor slugs by placing a shallow dish filled with beer or a marmite-and-water mixture in affected areas. They’ll be drawn to the scent and drown.