Bargain at €3 to keep snails at bay and out of your home for good
SWALLOWS are a common nuisance in the fall due to the humid weather.
Rainy days are the best time for slugs to look for new hiding places. So here are some tips to prevent them from entering your home.
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According to OnlineCarpetsBritain has been crowned the ‘snail capital of the world’.
Each cubic meter of soil contains an average of 200 slugs.
The household experts have put together a list of their top 5 natural ways to prevent snails from entering your home this fall.
An effective means of deterring snails is a household item you may already have in your kitchen cupboard.
Seal any holes
Slugs are invertebrates.
That means that, with no backbone or shell to hold them down, they are super soft and fit through the smallest of spaces.
Check your home for any cracks or holes in your windows and door frames that may need to be resealed.
Take a good look around the entrances to your home, starting with the doors and moving on to the ground floor windows, and use a suitable sealant to patch any gaps you find.
condensation
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Condensation is snails’ best friend.
They thrive in moisture, so snails will try to find any moist spot they can.
Whether it’s leaking pipes or condensation around your patio doors, they will claw their way to find it.
Those who live in older homes may be more likely to have slug invasions due to their original wall construction.
Investing in items such as moisture absorbers or dehumidifiers can be a good way to rid your home of excessive moisture.
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Believe it or not, slugs have great scent detectors, so be sure to clean up any leftover food or pet food that might attract them.
Here’s a five-second hack that will stop condensation from forming for less than 95 cents.
Copper tape
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Copper is a slag kryptonite.
They are sensitive to copper due to the hemocyanin proteins present in their anatomy.
If slugs stay around copper for too long, it can prevent oxygen from moving through their bodies.
Homeowners battling slug invasion will be happy to know that slugs will avoid crossing copper for this reason.
This makes copper tape an excellent deterrent that can be easily and cheaply applied to any entryways or window seals where snails often enter our homes.
It is important to note that copper tape should be cleaned regularly with vinegar to prevent tarnishing so that it remains effective against slugs.
Lavender
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Snails cannot tolerate strong-smelling plants.
Lavender has very low toxicity to humans, making it an ideal choice when it comes to repelling slugs and snails from your home.
Other popular choices include rosemary.
Place lavender strategically at the entrances to your home, to create a scented barrier against slugs and slugs.
In fact, another easy and cost-effective solution would be to mix some lavender oil in a spray bottle and spray it on the surfaces inside and outside your home, paying particular attention to your floors and entry points.
Coffee beans
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Coffee is not the way slugs like to start their day. In fact, they hate it, making it one of the best insect repellents.
All you have to do is sprinkle some coffee grounds at the entrance to your home to let snails know they are not welcome.
However, make sure you use ground coffee beans and not instant coffee granules.
The higher the caffeine content, the more likely you are to keep snails away.
Extra strong coffee beans are available from Sainsbury’s for just £3.
Why are there so many snails in my garden?
Are you at war with slugs? Are you calling for help to get rid of it?
Fabulous’ Associate Editor and garden enthusiast, Rebecca Miller, investigates why gardens are overrun with slugs this summer.
“Not only has the lack of sunshine prevented plants, flowers and crops from reaching their potential this summer, but the slug invasion is also ruining any chance of success.
‘Gardeners across the country are waging war against the army of slugs appearing in their backyards.
“So why do we have so many slugs this summer? Well, because of the weather we had a damp spring and perhaps the wettest summer on record, which has created a perfect breeding ground for slugs.
“They became ‘active’ earlier this year and that’s why there are so many of them now.
“And whether they stick around… it all depends on, yes, you guessed it, the weather!
“We need more sunshine to dry out the soil and the soil, and then gardeners need to adjust their watering schedules – don’t water the plants at night because the moisture encourages the slimy critters, but water late in the afternoon, the latter few hours of sun.” can dry the top layer of soil.”
