Spring is now fully in season and gardens are bursting back into life. Trees are turning green, seedlings are beginning to sprout and wildflowers are starting to bloom. However, it is not only us humans that appreciate the garden at this time of year. Also likely prevalent, will be the annual re-emergence of slugs!
Why slugs appear in Spring
Slugs thrive in damp, mild conditions, making spring an ideal time for them to emerge in larger numbers. With fresh seedlings, young leaves and soft new growth appearing across gardens, food sources become abundant after the colder winter months.
What is a slug?
A shell-less gastropod that moves using a muscular ‘foot’ and leaves a trail of mucus to protect its body and help it travel.
While they can be a nuisance to gardeners, they are vital to the ecosystem by recycling decaying plant matter and serving as food for birds, hedgehogs, and amphibians. Given their importance to the environment, we wanted to bring solutions to the market that were natural and humane.
Copper Tape as a natural slug repellent
Copper tape is a popular, chemical-free gardening deterrent. When a slug or snail’s moist mucus touches copper, it creates a mild chemical reaction that gives the pest a small, uncomfortable sensation – often described as a weak electric shock.
Slug tape can be easily applied to flower pots & raised beds to provide an effective pet friendly and humane slug repellent – though a lot can depend on the quality of tape and application as noted in this RHS article – https://www.rhs.org.uk/garden-inspiration/people-making-a-difference/hayley-jones
How Hyssop helps repel slugs
Hyssop is known to repel slugs primarily because of its strong, aromatic fragrance. Slugs and snails possess sensory and olfactory receptors all over their bodies. The intense, minty-licorice smell acts as a natural irritant and confuses their navigation, making them avoid the area.
Whilst planting hyssop acts as an excellent natural deterrent to plant in your borders, our Hyssop based Pestspray provides a natural slug repellent spray in a concentrated solution enabling you to spray tactically should planting not be an option.
Natural Slug Repellent Sprays
In addition to our Hyssop slug spray we also now have a highly concentrated essential oil blend for slugs – PestOil for Slugs & Snails. Coming in a 10ml bottle, this blend of Garlic, Lavender, Peppermint & Hyssop enables you to mix up and make up to 13 litres of your own spray solution. By using your own spray bottle and sprayer we’re able to reduce transportation and packaging whilst still delivering a powerful solution.
Humane ways to protect your garden
Additionally, for maximum protection in damp, slug-prone areas, consider supplementing the slug repellent tape and sprays with physical barriers like copper mesh or using broken and crushed shells.
I personally vouch for these natural remedies and believe that using one or a combination of these can make a difference in the battle to deter slugs naturally. A lot of time goes into our gardens and it is essential we find a way to keep it looking good, for as long as possible. Happy repelling!
Russell