Listen, I don’t want to ruin your day by giving you the long, boring saga of my Summer Of Slugs but put it this way: I will be keeping this grudge as long as I live and starting from zero because of the wee slimy pests was NOT my 2024 plan.
Anyway. Love and light. I don’t want them to die, I’ll never be the kind of person that pours salt out to kill them because ultimately, the outdoors is their home, not mine and the plants are really more beneficial to them than they are to me.
I would still like for them to go away, though. Soz. I’m not perfect.
Therefore, a solution that doesn’t harm them but does keep my treasured plants pristine throughout spring and summer.
Enter: eggshells.
How to use eggshells to deter slugs
According to the pest experts at Rentokil: “Crushed egg shells work as a great home remedy for slugs. This is because slugs don’t like moving across sharp objects, although it isn’t not impossible for them to do, they just prefer not to.”
Spiky, sharp eggshells or the soft, soft comfort of my lawn? I know what I’d choose, to be honest.
All you have to do to make the most of this solution is collect a few eggshells, crush them up into small(ish) pieces and place them around the flowers, plants, vegetables, and fruits you want to keep safe from slug damage.
An added bonus is that once the shells do break down, the calcium will enrich the surrounding soil.
Don’t tend to have eggs in the home? No problem! Rentokil said that nut shells are just as effective!
Another effective solution is fresh coffee grounds. Apparently, slugs hate the smell of coffee and just being near it is enough to make them change direction.
Natural solutions with very little effort? Win/win!