Garden slugs are extremely damaging pests that can become a problem in almost any garden in the world. Garden slugs typically colonize shady, moist gardens and feed on leaves and seedlings. Once they mature, larger slugs will feed on ripening vegetables and fruits.
More common in tropical and subtropical regions with warm, wet weather, slugs lay eggs in plant debris and dead leaves and are mostly active at night time.
Slugs are particularly bothersome insects to deal with as they possess nocturnal behavioral and feeding patterns that leave them hidden away during the day time and impossible to locate at night.
While salt is effective in destroying slugs, seeding your garden with salt will quickly destroy any of the plants you were hoping to protect. Slug bait, while effective, is extremely poisonous and presents a significant risk to both pets and small children.
Diatomaceous Earth Natural Slug Control
Diatomaceous earth is the best option for treating a garden for slugs. Completely natural, cost effective and extremely fast acting, diatomaceous earth is an organic and chemical free solution that will rid your garden of slugs at no risk to your health or that of your pets.
The high silica concentration of diatomaceous earth binds to slugs as they pass over it, sapping the moisture from their bodies and fatally dehydrating them. In this article we’ll present a simple step-by-step guide on how to treat your garden for slugs with diatomaceous earth.
Step 1: Alter Watering Schedule
The nocturnal nature of slugs means that if you’re watering your garden in the evening, you’re providing slugs with added incentive to roam through your garden at night time. Instead, water your garden in the morning, which allows the soil to dry throughout the day and discourage slug activity at night time.
Step 2: Spread Diatomaceous Earth
Seeding your garden with diatomaceous earth to prevent slug infestations is extremely simple and won’t harm your plants. Simply surround each plant with a ring of diatomaceous earth about one half of an inch in thickness. As slugs travel across the barrier, they will collect diatomaceous earth that will swiftly cause them to expire.
Diatomaceous earth is most effective when dry, so ensure your garden is dry before applying the powder. If applied on wet soil, diatomaceous earth will absorb the moisture content of the soil around it and become ineffective.
Spreading diatomaceous earth by hand can also be ineffective and wasteful, so you may want to consider using a diatomaceous earth duster to distribute it. For information on the best applicator or duster for this purpose, check out our article on Squeeze Dusters and Bulb Dusters: Which One is Best?.
Step 3: Check Often & Re-Apply
If the diatomaceous earth you’ve distributed around your plants gets wet or is washed away by rain or wind, ensure you keep applying it until the slugs are gone. Diatomaceous earth will eliminate most species of slugs in 4-6 weeks of treatment.
Diatomaceous Earth Information Guide:
We have a wide variety of food grade diatomaceous earth resources for you look through to make your life a little easier and chemical-free. Please check out the other valuable resources and versatile application uses for silica-rich diatomaceous earth below:
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- Silica Supplements Guide
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- Silica Water
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- Going Green With Diatomaceous Earth
Please reach out regarding any information above. In the future, more share-worthy useful enhancements, experiences and effects of diatomaceous earth will be added as the benefits continue to pile up. Always welcome for more insight and awareness, click the button to see the most recommended beautifully blended product that combines both high quality food grade diatomaceous earth powder and pure organic silica together in one formula.