Garden Expert Shares Simple Tip to Keep Slugs Away Using Takeaway Boxes
Many of us toss out leftover takeaway boxes without a second thought, but one gardening expert suggests we reconsider. Known as ‘Gardening With Kay’ on TikTok, she revealed how these seemingly useless boxes can actually be used to trap slugs. If slugs have been feasting on your plants, this trick might just be the solution you need. Here’s how it works:
- Take a takeaway lid and cut a hole in it.
- Place a plant inside the hole, ensuring it has close contact with the soil.
- Sprinkle a thick layer of salt on the lid.
To enhance the effectiveness of this method, Kay also recommends adding sticky tape inside the takeaway box. She claims this technique surpasses using slug powders made of ‘diatomaceous earth’. According to her, wrapping the tape around the plant with salt sprinkled on it can help the plant survive without the need for a salt barrier in the future.
Experts support the use of salt as a slug deterrent due to its dehydrating effect on the pests. Dr. Gordon Port, a senior lecturer at Newcastle University, explains that salt dehydrates slugs through osmosis, causing them to die quickly from lack of water in their bodies.
If you prefer to repel slugs instead of killing them, other experts suggest using crushed egg shells or nutshells:
- Slugs avoid sharp objects, so crushed eggshells can act as a barrier.
- Similarly, broken nutshells can deter slugs as well.
By creating a protective barrier around your plants with these natural materials, you can steer slugs away without harm. What do you think of this unconventional gardening method? Share your thoughts in the comments below.