Gardening expert Claire Ratinon has revealed how to keep slugs at bay, and it’s not by using eggshells or coffee grounds as people often believe, but by creating a different homemade device
A gardening expert has dismissed the notion that eggshells and coffee grounds offer much protection for your plants against slugs. Instead, she proposed an entirely different homemade solution that could prove far more effective.
Expert Claire Ratinon was dispelling common gardening myths when she addressed whether coffee and eggshells represent the optimal method for safeguarding your garden from slug damage.
Acknowledging this was the enquiry she received most frequently, she advocated a completely alternative strategy. Moreover, the technique she recommended is one gardeners can attempt at home, by constructing a beer trap.
Writing in the Guardian, Claire stated: “How to manage slugs is my most-asked question, even though the Royal Horticultural Society has stopped describing these molluscs as pests, and says that only nine of the estimated 44 UK species of slug are ‘notable plant nibblers’.
“In my experience, coffee grounds and eggshells do little to protect plants. Beer traps do work in that they coax slugs into a yeasty, watery grave, but they require monitoring, emptying and refilling, which is not a pleasant task. How effective they are depends on how many you put out and the size of your slug population.”
While it’s possible to purchase specialist beer traps, they can also be crafted at no extra expense using everyday household items.
Better Homes & Gardens suggest creating your own with “old yoghurt or cottage cheese containers that are at least four inches deep”.
Regarding the beer, no particular brand or strength was specified, though the website did recommend opting for budget versions of the beverage.
They noted that once the container has been selected, gardeners should pour just three inches of beer into the cup, as excessive alcohol will enable the slugs to flee.
They clarified: “Add about three inches of beer to the container. Don’t fill the container all the way-it will take a lot of beer and make it easier for the slugs to escape.
“A freshly baited slug beer trap will remain effective for 2-3 days. After that, the odor of the beer is gone, and so is the slug-attracting ability. Empty out the dead slugs and re-bait the traps with fresh beer.”
Although coffee grounds might not be deemed effective for combating slugs by some, others have championed the method, including the gardening blog Tea and Coffee, which has argued coffee could serve as a deterrent. It’s not because slugs are particular about arabica versus robusta, but because the grounds are actually toxic to them.
The blog stated: “Coffee grounds contain a chemical called alkaloid, which is poisonous to slugs. When slugs ingest coffee grounds, they suffer from severe dehydration and eventually die.
“For these reasons, slugs will avoid areas where coffee grounds have been sprinkled. While coffee grounds may not be the most effective way to keep slugs out of your garden, they can be a helpful tool in deterring these pests.”