Emma Miller
Spanish slugs can destroy an entire crop in a vegetable garden in a few days if left unchecked.
Spanish Slugs: Where Do They Live and What Are They Dangerous for?
Spanish slugs are long, red, or brown insects. They can be easily identified by the stripes on the body and the smooth head. These insects are active at night, but in rainy and cloudy weather they can also be seen during the day. They prefer damp, shady places.
Spanish Slugs are dangerous because they devour practically all garden plants, such as cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, and others. They eat holes in the leaves and eat the fruits whole. Slugs also like flowers.
How to remove Spanish slugs by chemical means
Pesticides should be used only if other methods have not helped, or if the affected area is too large. After all, chemical preparations are harmful not only to slugs but also to people and the crop itself.
If you have chosen a chemical method of control, it is recommended to buy a preparation containing metaldehyde, a substance that is effective against slugs. The preparation is sprinkled on the ground while wearing protective gloves. During rainfall, the effectiveness decreases and the treatment will have to be repeated after precipitation.
Methaldehyde is toxic to humans and other warm-blooded animals. After chemical treatment of a vegetable garden against slugs, do not visit the site for at least 2 weeks, and do not allow pets or children on the site. During these 2 weeks, do not eat any plants grown on the property.
Other slug control methods
- Slugs can be controlled without the use of toxic drugs. Here are a few safe methods of controlling the pest.
- Make a slug trap. These insects love the smell of yeast. Place bottle halves filled with beer, honey, and yeast around the area. Slugs will crawl into this trap and drown in the beer. You can also make bait from plant debris and collect the slugs by hand.
- Apply natural pest control agents such as lime, wood ash, ashes, and mustard powder.
- Several remedies can be combined. Not only are they effective against slugs, but they will also fertilize the soil on the plot. Note that you should not treat areas with berries with lime.
- Do not sprinkle salt on the soil! Salt is not very effective against slugs and certainly kills them worse than a shoe. The salt makes the soil on the property salty and unsuitable for plant growth.
- Catch slugs by hand if you see them on the property. This method of control is found to be very effective. Wear protective gloves. Then simply destroy the insects mechanically.
- Remove trash, decaying plant debris, boards, and wood where the slugs live, and weed regularly.
- Dig the topsoil regularly. And in mid-autumn, dig deeper into all the soil.
