Although useful in breaking down plant material, slugs are the number one enemy of vegetable plants.
These pests have an insatiable appetite, and although they move at a snail’s pace, they can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time.
Fortunately, gardening enthusiasts can now breathe a sigh of relief as Melanie Horsey of John Horsey Horticulture shares a nifty trick to protect your beloved plants from the relentless appetite of slugs and snails.
He suggests setting up a simple beer trap, an environmentally friendly solution that has proven to be effective.
He said: “This is a great tip for protecting your plants from the horrors of slugs and snails that will destroy all your hard work.
– The beer trap for snails and slugs is ecological and works. In fact, it’s kind of cheeky to do your bill the next morning.”
Melanie advises using cheap beer and any container at least two centimeters high, such as a plastic cup.
Melanie said: “The main thing is that the lip of the cup needs to be about two centimeters above the ground. Snails and slugs climb over the lip.
“If the tank is flat at ground level, the friendly beetles, toads, newts, etc. will also be trapped, and that would be a shame.”
Set the trap by pouring the beer into a container and placing it near the soil of the plants overnight, where slugs and snails will find it.
Snails and slugs are attracted to beer because of the yeast and sugar content they consume, and they can pick up a strong fermented scent from afar.
Once they are attracted to the cup, they crawl inside and cannot cling to the sides, meaning they fall in and die.
It is important to place the beer trap near the plants to be protected, as slugs and snails are not fast creatures, and be sure to check the trap daily to kill any slugs or refresh the beer if it rains.
A more natural solution than spraying your garden with a cocktail of pesticides, this DIY snail trap is incredibly effective at keeping those pesky slugs at bay.
Melaine said: “This beer trap is a very simple hack for pest control. All you have to do is fill the tank with about a third of beer and leave it overnight.
“Very easy and you can score several points at once. In the morning, just drain the slugs and repeat.”
