{"id":11959,"date":"2022-04-12T05:00:23","date_gmt":"2022-04-12T03:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=116719"},"modified":"2022-04-12T05:12:10","modified_gmt":"2022-04-12T03:12:10","slug":"the-science-backed-ways-to-keep-slugs-off-your-plants-and-no-its-not-salt-or-beer","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/the-science-backed-ways-to-keep-slugs-off-your-plants-and-no-its-not-salt-or-beer\/","title":{"rendered":"The science-backed ways to keep slugs off your plants (and no, it\u2019s not salt or beer)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Alice Lipscombe-Southwell\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 12 April 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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From 1 April, slug pellets containing metaldehyde can no longer be owned or sold in the UK. The ban follows the advice from the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides (ECP) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and has come into force because the chemical has an unacceptable impact on the environment and wildlife.<\/p>\n

Metaldehyde is harmful to birds, amphibians and mammals \u2013 including hedgehogs, cats and dogs \u2013 that directly consume the pellets, or eat slugs or other creatures that have been contaminated by them.<\/p>\n

Metaldehyde works by disrupting the mucus production in slugs and snails. This reduces their ability to digest food and move around, and also makes them susceptible to dehydration. Slugs and snails that have eaten the chemical will tend to die within days.<\/p>\n

Slug pellets based on less toxic ferric phosphate are still allowed. This chemical causes the slugs and snails to stop eating.<\/p>\n

How can I stop slugs eating my plants?<\/h2>\n
According to Dr Hayley Jones<\/a>, an entomologist at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) who researches slugs and snails, slug pellets should always be the last option for controlling slugs, and it\u2019s better to start with preventative measures.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re planting out new plants, grow your seedlings on until they\u2019re bigger and sturdier so that they\u2019re not going to just die straight away if they get nibbled a bit,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce you\u2019ve got your plants in and they\u2019re being nibbled, go out at night to catch them [the slugs] in the act and pick them off, relocate them or dispose of them as you see fit.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also worth researching plants that are less attractive to slugs. Generally, shrubby or woody plants, or those with waxy or furry leaves, or are less tasty.\u00a0Here are some common slug-resistant plants, recommended by the RHS:<\/p>\n
Snapdragons<\/li>\n
Foxgloves<\/li>\n
Fennel<\/li>\n
Bleeding heart<\/li>\n
Scabious<\/li>\n
Nasturtiums<\/li>\n
Pelargoniums<\/li>\n
Geraniums<\/li>\n
Fuchsias<\/li>\n
Aquilegia<\/li>\n<\/ul>
If that doesn\u2019t work, it is possible to buy a nematode biological control agent that you mix into water and sprinkle over your plants. The nematodes in the mixture are parasites of slugs. \u201c<\/strong>It doesn\u2019t really affect snails because they don\u2019t hide underground in the way that slugs do,\u201d says Jones. \u201cBut it will be good for treating a raised veggie bed or something like that. As well as killing the slugs on the plants, it will kill the slugs in the bed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nematode is naturally occurring in the UK, so when you apply it to the soil, you\u2019re bumping up the levels that were there before.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s actually quite interesting because it\u2019s not the parasite itself that kills the slug,\u201d says Jones. \u201cThe parasite carries bacteria, and when the nematode gets into the slug\u2019s body, it releases the bacteria. The bacteria kill the slug and then essentially the nematode breeds in the soupy slug mess that\u2019s left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n
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