The Popular Garden Myth For Deterring Slugs That Can't Be Trusted

If slugs have overtaken your space, don't feel bad. You are not the first, and there are plenty of tips for keeping snails and slugs out of your garden. Unfortunately, there are also some "hacks" out there that could set you back. Sometimes, in all of life's complexities, it is easy to gravitate toward a simple fix. But that does not always make it the best option. One common myth suggests that placing some pieces of citrus fruits can discourage slugs from eating your plants. Simply cut them up, toss them in, and they'll keep your plants safe — but it is much more complicated than that. Another postulates that citrus peels could act as a pest repellent. If this were true, citrus fruits would be the saving grace in any garden, but there are better tricks out there.

Myths tend to be rooted in truth. Slugs do enjoy citrus fruit and may be coaxed off your plants for the time being, but claiming fruit halves to be an effective trap is an exaggeration. Citrus fruit peels do contain trace amounts of essentials oils that would be an olfactory deterrent to some pests, but they are not naturally concentrated enough to be of consequence. The slugs may abandon your plants short-term to seek out the fruit, but there is nothing keeping them there and the peels will likely not bother them or any other pest. You may actually attract more slugs than you had at the start. More than likely, adding these fruits to your garden will have the opposite of the desired effect.

As organic gardening becomes more popular, utilization of natural oils is increasing as an alternative to synthetic products. Refined natural oils sourced from citrus peels can offer quick results against fleas, aphids, mites, and more while still remaining low in toxicity for plant life. This reality, paired with the slugs' fondness for citrus fruits, spins myths in the rumor mill.

These pesticides are not even cleared for use on slugs — slugs are mollusks and regular pesticides do not work on them — but even if they did, they would require a more active approach. To be effective, one must coat pests in the spray. Passively setting the peel of fruit nearby is effectively pointless, as any exposed oils would evaporate too quickly to affect any pests. Even if this hack were enough to deter pests, it would also affect beneficial organisms, further harming your garden. Without the benefit of repulsion, many pests are drawn to fruit. You may accidentally invite more, even larger, pests to your garden, at which point, there are no guarantees that they would stop at just that fruit.

Since slugs need a moist to wet climate and prefer the shade, you can make your garden inhospitable for them by targeting their needs. Improving the drainage of your soil and keeping your plants well-spaced to improve air circulation can make for a drier environment. You can also prune branches of trees or bushes that act as sun blockages. Considering that slugs are active in the evening, you can even water your plants' roots in the morning so the sun can dry excess moisture before slugs come out. Make sure to water plants at their base, not from above, to prevent sun damage. You could also consider growing drought resistant plants that thrive without much water.

If altering your garden environment sounds extreme, consider growing plants that slugs do not like. Herbs that contain essential oils, such as basil, mint, and lavender, do tend to deter slugs and other pests. If you don't wish to change your crop composition at all, you could choose to rely on some other animals that are natural predators to slugs. Try not to scare off visiting toads, frogs, or birds. Even some beetles deter slug presence.

Looking for preventative measures for the next season? Try raking your garden in the winter. This will expose the slugs, and they are more likely to die off before spring. You can also consider using copper mesh to prevent slugs and snails from invading your garden since they dislike how it feels to touch.