How do garden centres deter slugs and snails?

I have terrible trouble with garden pests - slugs, snails, greenfly, whitefly etc, and I spend all summer putting down pellets (which go furry) and spraying pests, or even avoiding plants which pests see as a tasty salad. The worst example was a chrysanthemum bush which I planted one aftternoon and which, the following morning, was just a tiny stem, as every scrap had been eaten.





Anyway, it occurred to me that garden centres don't have evidence of pest infestation, or else they would loose custom. Anybody kow how they do it? Slug charming? Stern warnings? Picking individual slugs and rehoming them? How is it done?

How do garden centres deter slugs and snails?
My family have a nursery and we use slug pellets that are environmentally friendly, and 100% safe for wildlife and pets (except slugs and snails).





Depending where you live, I'd contact local nurseries and look for this type - not the typical poisonous slug pellets, which do cause harm. One company called Growing Success makes one brand.





We also use nematodes, that are microscopic living creatures which prey on slugs and lead to their death. They're naturally around us, but by adding higher population levels you manage to control the slug population. You buy a powder, containing these creatures, mix with water and water it around the garden, they then go away and attack the slugs. Eg - http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/Harro...





Finally, if you have any pots, you can buy a thin copper tape that will adhere to your pots, and this prevents slugs and snails going over the tape, as they get a tiny electric charge, due to their wet contact onto the tape (it's not plugged into the electricity, it's just a reaction between their body and the tape). This way you can keep some slug loved plants in containers, and they'll be safe from munching. http://www.naturalcollection.com/natural...





For aphids, the cheapest option is to use diluted soap and spray it on. You can buy commercial sprays containing natural fatty acids, which are the same thing. They kill aphids on contact, but needs repeating as laid eggs will hatch as well as new ones invading. Otherwise you could buy some live ladybugs (ladybirds), either as larvae or adults, both of which will feed off your aphids - there's no guarantee that they won't fly away, but I'd recommend the larvae which will stay put and eat the aphids, before transforming into the lady bug beetles. Here's one commercial soap spray - http://growstore.com/detail.asp?itemnumb...





Otherwise, spraying aphids with diluted nicotine, garlic, or rhubarb will also kill them. You could always try a mix out, to find what works for you, using what you have available - it's still beneficial to use a little soap, to help it coat where you're spraying.





Don't be tempted with salt, as this can seriously harm your soil.





Hope this helps. Good luck! Rob
Reply:iv have allways used the leftover coffee from fresh coffee thats great . you have to ve it all for a week the pread it were the slugs an snails are or buy the pellets that dont harm any other garden animels like the pellets atract the snails and sorry but it kills them good luk
Reply:whatever you do don't use pellets slugs etc eat pellets then hedgehogs eat them and die, Buy a cheap can of beer then submerge in the ground in a dish slugs etc will die drunk and happy so good for everyone :)
Reply:Slug pellets. Poison.
Reply:We would put out a lot of bait, all the time. We used the powdery type, like Corry's, rather than the furry pellets.
Reply:Garden center plants are not in the soil. In other words, they are not at ground level for the pests to munch on. Also, they are not in the garden center long enough for a true infestation to build up.





Although I'm sure your intentions are good, from what you describe you are creating a toxic microcosm that will only attract more pests until there is nothing left. Stop with the sprays, put out a lot of bird seed, and let the animals do the work of pest management for you. Pellets are especially dangerous and IMO should be illegal. They kill the creatures who eat slugs, and those are the very creatures you want to attract to your garden.





Any pest overgrowth is a symptom of an imbalance in the garden, and it sounds like what you are doing - although well-meaning - is only making things many times worse.

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