Slugs and Snails
Many gardeners are left wondering how to get rid of slugs and snails. These pests mainly feed on decaying garden matter such as leaves and cuttings, however they also enjoy munching their way through healthy plant leaves, stems and seedlings. There are also some really easy tell-tale signs that you have a slug/snail problem – there will be slime trails (usually found in the morning) and damage to plants usually with irregular holes through the leaves.
The question is, how do I stop slugs/snails eating plants?
There are options to stop snails/slugs eating plants. Progreen offers a snail and slug repellent called Pest Arrest. This product is an organic and natural solution that is ideal for use on flowers, fruit, vegetables and amenity vegetation. Simply spray the product on the area that you want to keep snail and slug free and the pests will be deterred from the area. This is a very easy option and although it won’t kill the pests, it will make sure that they stay away and not cause more damage. If you did have a larger scale problem then you would have to take methods to apply a slug and snail killer such as slug pellets.
Are slug and snail killers available?
Many slug baits used to contain the chemical compound: Metaldehyde however this is being phased out and will be illegal to use after 31st March 2022. Metaldehyde poses great risks to; aquatic life, birds and mammals especially hedgehogs so phasing out this product will help to protect surrounding wildlife who are susceptible to secondary poisoning.
There are safer options, however, to use that will kill slugs and snails. The best slug pellets contain a natural compound of iron/ ferric phosphate that degrades naturally – contained in our product Sluxx. This is a modern treatment for slugs and snails and does not have any adverse effect on birds or mammals if they eat the infected slugs/snails. It works by causing pathological changes to the pest digestive systems, resulting in them stopping feeding and as a result, they become less mobile c-dying within 3-6 days. Alongside this, Sluxx degrades into the soil if it has not been ingested by the snails/slugs so will not cause harm to the environment.
