HOW TO DETER SLUGS AND SNAILS WITHOUT HARMING THEM

At ecofective®, we care about garden wildlife, and we strive to find greener solutions that are not harmful to the ecosystem. Slugs are often a subject that comes up at this time of the year as they become a real problem for plants and produce. Warmer weather, combined with damp conditions greatly increases Slugs activity. They are most active after dark, so from August (when the nights start to get shorter) Slugs are very active. Slugs lay eggs nearly all year round, but most prolifically in late summer and early autumn.

WHY DO WE NEED TO STOP SLUGS?

Slugs are common pests that can cause problems in your garden. The usual issue is that they eat holes in plant leaves, stems and flowers. Slugs are around all year, so they are a constant threat to plant health.

Slugs can be helpful to the composting process as some slugs feed off decomposing organic matter, however, in the vegetable garden lettuce, celery and potato are often damaged. They make holes in established plants, weakening them and can kill young seedlings by completely consuming them. Long-keeled slugs live underground and find their way into potato tubers and bulbs, ultimately ruining the crop.

Many gardeners realise that it is impossible to get rid of slugs, as there are so many in just one garden. Therefore, control measures are the best remedy – and we have just the solution.

NO HARM

Slug deterrents often mean that the plant is not harmed, and the slug is not harmed. One common misconception is that a Slug deterrent is poison, and this is often not the case. ecofective® Slug Stoppa contains no pesticides which mean no harm is caused. This also means that any predators that consume a Slug are not being exposed to any harmful chemicals from eating it, which is a concern of many people when buying Slug control products. After all, we love our Hedgehogs, Birds and Frogs, which are all common garden predators.

GRANULES VS SPRAY

ecofective® offer two different types of Slug Control in the Slug Stoppa range:

ecofective Slug Stoppa Barrier Granules  stops Slugs in their tracks by using natural non-toxic granules which provide a physical barrier around edible and non-edible plants. These granules deter Slugs and Snails from reaching the protected plants throughout the growing season. Child, pet, and bee safe, this product is developed from naturally derived ingredients which do not turn spongy once wet; instead, they dry out quickly and remain just as effective, unlike clay repellents which degrade with rain and watering.

Using a unique formula, Slug Stoppa spray is a multi award-winning pesticide-free child & pet safe ready-to-use spray that also contains nutrients to enhance and promote plant growth. When sprayed onto plants it gives the plant an ability to withstand slugs or snails whilst ensuring they are all unharmed and that natural predators such as hedgehogs, amphibians and birds are safe to feed in the garden. Furthermore, the formula is also not harmful to pollinators such as butterflies and bees, who conduct such an important job in the garden.

As well as being a kinder solution for slugs, Slug Stoppa is easy to use with the ergonomically designed ‘thumb pump’ trigger. The design of the trigger results in a seamless one handed spray functionality that can be utilised when there are the first signs of slug and snail damage in the garden. In three simple steps users can then look forward to unharmed plants by firstly shaking the spray pouch, switching the safety nozzle to the ‘ON’ position and then spraying plants until the formula is just starting to drip from the foliage.

Appealing to eco-conscious garden enthusiasts, Slug Stoppa is supplied in the pouch pack format, which has significantly less plastic content. This new packaging consumes less energy throughout its entire lifecycle and less plastic material used also results in less waste to collect, sort, and recycle. Slug Stoppa’s pouch is up to 55% less plastic than a conventional rigid spray bottle.

For those who want to re-use their Slug Stoppa trigger, they can now purchase the new Slug Stoppa Replacement Pouch which attaches to the existing trigger, saving the consumer £1 when compared to buying a brand new Slug Stoppa  

1 litre spray pouch.

Barrier Granules help deter the slugs from getting physically to your plants, whereas the Defence Spray makes the plant taste bad to the Slugs and puts them off the plant. Both are good options to help stop Slugs and Snails from harming your plants. The one you choose depends on your preference on what you would rather use as a solution in your garden.

Find a stockist of ecofective Slug Stoppa by visiting our Stockist Finder.