How to deal with a slug infestation in your garden.
If you’re like many homeowners in the great state of Florida, you’ve probably noticed an influx of new pests that started showing up in the early spring. While certain insects such as crickets and mosquitoes are more likely to make their presence known, there’s one pest in particular that will often stay hidden – the garden slug. These critters might not give you the same kind of creepy-crawly feeling when you see one, but having a slug infestation in your garden is no joke.
The Dangers of a Slug Infestation in Your Garden
A slug infestation in your garden can have a devastating effect. Despite the fact that many species of slugs feed only on decaying plant matter and animal waste, others limit themselves to living plants.
These particular species of slugs can cause a beautiful garden to quickly become unsightly and even kill the plants over an extended period of time, leading to a low vegetable yield or even none at all if the slug population gets high enough.
How to Prevent or Eliminate a Slug Infestation
In order to keep your plants and vegetation safer, you must always work to avoid the presence of a slug infestation in your garden. Here are a few effective ways to get rid of slugs that have already infiltrated your yard and how you can avoid a slug problem from occurring in the future:
Green Pesticides
When you basically “nuke” your garden with chemical pesticides, you’ll end up killing beneficial insects such as ground beetles along with the dangerous ones. Organic pesticides are created using scientific methods, some of which allow you to only target specific pests such as slugs and other harmful critters.
Salt Treatment
First, add a healthy amount of salt to a spray bottle of water. Next, spray the solution in your garden at night and the slugs will die from dehydration. And in the morning, wash away any residual salt spray to prevent damage to your plants.
Beer Treatment
Beer traps are designed to entice slugs into a container, at which point they’ll drown and then you can dispose of them. The good news is that non-alcoholic beer works best, so you won’t have to sacrifice any of the good stuff in your fridge or pantry.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth is a popular remedy for several different types of pests because it isn’t toxic to humans or pets. Simply spread some around in various areas of your garden and wait for the slugs to ingest it. After they do, it will dry them out in a short period of time.
Don’t Use Loose Mulch
If your garden tends to have a slug problem, then you should avoid using loose mulch in your yard because it creates a more attractive environment for them. You should use either compost or leaf mold instead of straw, hay, or shredded wood mulches.
Natural Slug Bait
In your fight against slugs, organic slug baits are extremely effective in eliminating these annoying and harmful pests. However, you must absolutely avoid any slug baits that contain either metaldehyde or methiocarb, which can be dangerous and sometimes even lethal to pets.
Attract Some Birds
Certain animals such as rodents are natural predators of slugs, but you probably don’t want mice and rats to be hanging around outside. However, if you set up a bird feeder or two, then you’ll be doing your home a big favor because they do a great job at hunting down slugs in your garden.
Water the Lawn Early
Slugs and their eggs thrive in a wet environment, so it’s always best to avoid excess moisture. By watering your lawn early, this will allow the sun to soak up much of the water before nightfall, which will help cut down on the slugs’ reproductive rates.
Plant Certain Foliage
Although slugs are attracted to many plants in your garden, there are certain types of foliage that will repel them. They don’t like heavily fragranced foliage, which would include several common herbs, nor do they enjoy plants that are either fuzzy or furry.
Use Copper Tape
You can purchase copper tape at most local garden centers or through a variety of online resources. This tape is an effective repellent because the copper reacts with a slug’s slime to cause a mild electric shock. As you can imagine, they won’t stick around too long after that.
Contact Prohealth Pest Control to Eliminate a Slug Infestation in Your Garden
The professionals at Prohealth Pest Control can help you prevent or eliminate a slug infestation in your garden. Our experts will utilize organic pest control in Tampa to get rid of slugs, cockroaches, bed bugs, rodents, arachnids, mosquitoes, wasps, and all other pests both inside and outside your home. If you have any questions about our organic methods or would like to set up an appointment, reach out by calling (727) 308-4087 to schedule a free consultation.
