FEELING SLUGGISH
A PEST expert has revealed five easy ways to stop slugs from "wreaking havoc" in your garden.
Spring is the season when slugs and snails are most likely to infest UK gardens, leaving a slime trail of destruction.
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The molluscs can lay up to a hundred eggs a month, so it is vital to act before they overwhelm your shrubbery.
Now, pest control experts Green Protect have shared five humane and easy ways to stop the backyard beasts.
Copper tape
The slug-hunters told the Express: "Copper tape deters the pests by giving them a small electrostatic shock not causing any serious harm or long-term damage, but is enough to stop them from attacking your plants.
"It's also a very subtle solution in terms of aesthetics, with the tape being a similar colour to most plant pots meaning it will largely be unnoticeable."
Barrier pellets
Another quick and cheap way of keeping slugs at bay is to place a barrier pellets around your plants.
Slugs find it impossible to slither over these pellets, which deter them without hurting them.
Last year metaldehyde pellets posing a "huge danger" to birds and mammals were banned - so make sure any pellets you pick up are chemical free.
Don't grow hostas
Slugs love nothing more than a young, shade-loving hostas plant.
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The experts said: "Although the plant is aesthetically pleasing, it does not stay that way for long once the slimy pests have made their way through the big leaves.
"If you find your hostas plants are being eaten year after year, it might simply be time to move on to less susceptible plants like aquilegia or foxgloves."
Distract them with treats
Scatter discarded orange and cucumber peel around your garden so that slugs are full up by the time they notice your plants.
Slugs are partial to citrus flavours, so lime, lemon and grapefruit peel can all be used to ward them off.
Enlist their enemies
Attracting hedgehogs, toads, frogs and beetles to your garden is a "surefire" way to scare slugs away.
Ponds, wild niches and drystone walls are all features likely to summon slug-gobbling creatures.
The experts also said that if you bury a pint of beer near your plants, slugs will be unable to resist the boozy smell - and will drown.
Crushed eggshells and coffee grounds also tickle their sensitive bellies, ruining their appetite.
Finally, slugs are put off by strong-smelling plants like wormwood, rue, fennel, anise, rosemary and astrantia.
Green Protect's Sophie Thorogood said: "Slugs can wreak havoc in any garden, especially in those growing hostas plants, bedding plants and vegetables.
“If you do want to use pellets there are some safe options that are entirely chemical-free and act as a deterrent so won’t cause any harm.
"With the recent ban on the sale of slug pellets, keen gardeners are now opting for friendlier methods to deter these slimy critters.
"Alternatively, a garden with biodiversity is a healthy one, so attracting other garden-friendly creatures can also act as a defence from slugs.
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"Hedgehogs, toads, frogs and ground beetles are natural enemies of the slug, so creating inviting environments for these creatures to thrive will certainly keep slugs at bay."
It comes after rat experts revealed how you can use a common kitchen staple to keep vermin out of your house.