Stop slugs and snails from munching on plants with two kitchen staples

Vibrant summer gardens are a sight to behold, with various flowers in full bloom. However, this season also attracts unwanted visitors - slugs - which could spell disaster for your beautiful plants.

These pests predominantly appear in the warm and wet conditions of summer, feasting on plant stems and significantly damaging, or even killing, most flowers. Great British Bakeoff winner and domestic aficionado, Nancy Birtwhistle, shares an effective solution to combat the slimy garden invaders without resorting to harmful chemicals.

This advice from her bestselling book 'Clean and Green' could help protect your precious floral displays. She pointed out: "There are many slug pellets on the market which will attract gastropods - they will eat them and then they die."

She adds: "Unfortunately, birds frogs, toads and hedgehogs then go on to eat these poisoned pests and will perish too. Much more eco-friendly to deter the slimy characters, and this can be done effectively at minimum cost," reports the Express.

So, how do you stop slugs from ruining your garden? Her tip is simple: use crushed eggshells. The shells' sharp edges deter slugs that find them uncomfortable and potentially hazardous to crawl over.

She explains: "Whenever you use an egg, get into the habit of rinsing the eggshell under the tap, removing the slimy membrane then leaving it to dry and placing it in a bowl."

"Once a collection of six or seven shells has been accumulated, simply crush them with your hands to a fine crumb." You can enhance the slug-repelling power of crushed eggshells by mixing in half a teaspoon of table salt, creating a potent deterrent that slugs will avoid due to its harmful effects on them.

Scatter this blend of eggshell and salt around your plants, forming a barrier, but be cautious not to place it too close if salt is included in the mix. Nancy advised: "Plants can tolerate an amount of salt, but too much can be poisonous."

She added: "Slugs and snails will stay well clear, their slimy composition finds it impossible to navigate a crazy-paving path of dry eggshells and the coating of salt will create an immediate sting and they will slide away as the salt can be fatal."

Both ingredients are also hygroscopic, meaning they draw moisture, which is essential for slugs' respiration and movement.

Upon sensing dehydration, slugs will retreat quickly to avoid shrivelling and death. It's best to apply the eggshell and salt mixture right after heavy rain, as slugs are more active during wet conditions and the solution could be washed away by further rainfall.