How to Control Slugs on Your Dahlia
If you've ever awakened in the morning to find your garden in ruins and slime trails glistening in the sun, chances are that slugs have invaded. Slugs are mollusks, like a clam or an oyster, and feed on almost anything growing in your garden, including dahlias. These unwanted invaders eat their own body weight in food in a matter of hours, which causes a large amount of destruction in a short amount of time. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Garden gloves
- Plastic bags
- 2 or 3 old wood boards
- Old coffee container
- Beer
- Plastic spray bottle
- Ammonia
Instructions
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1
Walk through the garden at dusk or night and pick up each slug by hand. If desired, wear a pair of garden gloves. Set each of the captured slugs into a plastic bag and dispose in an outdoor trash can.
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2
Set two or three old boards onto the ground near the dahlia garden. Wet the boards with water and allow them to sit overnight. In the morning, carefully lift up the boards and throw them, and the slugs that have made the boards a temporary home, into the garbage. The wet boards provide a dark, moist environment, which the slugs find attractive.
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3
Dig a small hole into the ground near the garden. Fill an old coffee container with 1 cup of beer and set it into the hole in the evening. The next morning, empty the contents of the coffee can, including any dead slugs, into an outdoor garbage can. The slugs are attracted to the odor of the beer and drown once they attempt to reach the sweet liquid.
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4
Fill a plastic spray bottle with 5 cups water and 1/2 cup ammonia. Wait until evening when the slugs are more active, and spray the ammonia mixture directly onto the slugs.
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5
Pick up any dead leaves, debris or wet mulch from the flower beds. The slugs live in these wet, dark places.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid using table salt to kill the slugs. It is not very effective and will damage the dahlias and surrounding soil.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
