Slugs, while useful at breaking down plant matter, are the number one enemy of vegetable plants.
These pests have insatiable appetites, and even though they move at a snail’s pace, they can do a lot of damage in a short time.
Thankfully gardening enthusiasts can now breathe a sigh of relief as Melanie Horsey from John Horsey Horticulture shares a nifty trick to protect your cherished plants from the relentless appetite of slugs and snails.
She suggests setting up a simple beer trap, an eco-friendly solution that’s proven effective.
She said: “This is a great tip for protecting your plants from the terror of those slugs and snails decimating all your hard work.
“A beer trap for slugs and snails is ecologically friendly and it does work. Indeed there is a certain schadenfreude in counting out your haul the next morning.”
Melanie advises using an inexpensive beer and any container with a height of at least two centimetres, such as a plastic cup.
Melanie said: “The main point is that the lip of the cup must be about two centimetres above the ground. Slugs and snails will climb over the lip.
“If the container is flush at ground level, your friendly beetles, toads, newts etc. would be caught too and that would be a shame.”
To set the trap, simply pour the beer into the container and place it near the soil of your plants overnight, where the slugs and snails will find it.
Slugs and snails are drawn to beer due to its yeast and sugar content, which they consume, and they can pick up on the strong fermented scent from afar.
Once they’re lured to the cup, they’ll crawl inside and won’t be able to cling to the sides, which means they’ll fall in and die.
It’s important to place your beer trap near the plants you want to protect since snails and slugs aren’t speedy creatures and remember to check the trap daily to dispose of the snails or refresh the beer if it has rained.
This DIY slug trap offers a more natural solution than spraying your garden with pesticide cocktails and is incredibly effective at keeping those pesky slugs at bay.
Melaine shared: “This beer trap is a very simple hack for pest control. You will only need to fill up your container with about one-third of the beer and leave it overnight.
“Very easy and several can be dotted about at any one time. In the morning, just empty out the slugs and repeat.”
