Goodbye to annoying snails: throw this fruit in the garden and they will stop destroying your vegetables

The garden is a habit for all kinds of wildlife but there are a couple of creatures who are not a welcome sight - slugs and their shelled cousins, snails.

These slimy gastropods are nocturnal and herbivores, they slither out at night when it’s cool and damp and most of their predators are asleep (apart from hedgehogs and toads). For gardeners, slugs are a nuisance - they feed on plants and crops so the more organic matter you have in your garden, the more attractive it is for slugs.

What do slugs and snails eat?

Slugs will eat practically any decaying vegetation - from decomposing leaves, flowers, and fruits to fungi. They also do a lot of damage to plants and crops.

Some gardeners use physical barriers to stop slugs and snails from getting to their crops - these include: crushed eggshells, pine bark mulch, copper tape, wool pellets and horticultural grit. Slug pellets which contain chemical poison (Methiocarb or Metaldehyde), are harmful to other wildlife in the garden such as birds and hedgehogs - as well as your own pets, and for that reason are not recommended.

Other natural deterrents such as garlic or hot pepper spray repel slugs but won’t be much use on a rainy night. Some gardeners swear by beer traps - it’s the hoppy aroma that attracts the slugs’ keen senses. For the same reason, the smell of spring onions will keep them away as they hate the smell...

Slugs caught in melon trap

However, there is another, inexpensive solution which is completely natural and doesn’t involve pesticides. A user on a popular gardening forum suggests using the rind of a honeydew melon (after you’ve eaten the inner flesh) to trap hungry slugs.

Simply place the two melon shells, cut-side down, close to the plants most at risk. Attracted by the fruity smell, slugs will slip inside and start feeding on the fleshy walls. However, once inside they can’t get out so in the morning, the rinds will be filled with slugs - and your prized plants and crops untouched.

Once you have caught the pesky melon-munching molluscs, dispose of them as you wish - either relocating them far away from your garden, or as you see fit.

Not all slugs are pests

But remember that, while they have a habit of ruining plants and crops, slugs also play a part in the ecosystem of your garden - and some species feed only on rotting, dead plant material which actually makes them very helpful to the composting process.

The netted field slug, brown soil slug and common garden snail are are the main culprits - the ones most likely to be found attacking your plants.

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