Slugs will stay out of your gardens for good with one addition

Slugs are a more common sight in autumn, thriving in the damp weather and ample foliage on the ground. To deter these pests for good, it's suggested to check beneath plant pots and decaying leaves during this period as the slug-breeding season subsides and they seek out dark, moist hideaways.

Rather than resorting to chemical pellets which can inadvertently harm pets and natural slug predators like birds and hedgehogs Jane, a seasoned gardener and the founder of Snap Dragon Life, has stumbled upon a natural repellent: the installation of a particular charming bloom throughout her green space.

Recounting her experience, Jane revealed: "I planted out my rows of carefully nurtured seedlings - cornflowers, marigolds, poppies, cosmos, nigella, snapdragons. Within two days the slugs had eaten everything but the snapdragons. Slugs don't like snapdragons."

Why do snapdragons repel slugs, one might wonder? Though it may appear odd, these flowers are remarkably efficient at warding off slugs. They possess natural chemicals detrimental to slugs yet harmless to humans, reports the Express.

Additionally, snapdragons hold less water and feature a sturdy, leathery makeup, leading slugs to assess a garden as a poor food source for them to venture elsewhere.

It is advisable to plant snapdragons near vulnerable plants such as lettuces, cabbages, or other greenery that slugs usually target but they should also be planted along garden paths and fences.

What else deters slugs from eating plants?

Beer trap technique

If slugs are a significant issue for you now then an excellent way to prevent them from feasting on plants is to create a trap that the critters will be attracted to but will quickly eliminate them.

Jane stated: "Slugs love beer, any beer, even the terrible beer that people bring to parties, even failed home-brew. Save small jars or pots (single yoghurt pots work fine) and bury them up to their necks between where the slugs are likely to be living and your plants."

Fill the containers with beer and slugs will be more attracted to this than the plants. Slugs will also find it challenging to crawl out of the container and will drown so it is a simple but highly effective slug control trap.

Cereal trap technique

If you do not have beer in your home then you can also use cereal as when it is exposed to outside conditions it will begin to ferment slightly and slugs will be highly attracted to it.

Jane stated: "The only thing better than beer in the mind of a slug is cereal. They can't resist it. Rather than using piles of bran which can get messy, I use cheap own-brand Weetabix-type cereal and again place it between the slugs and the crops."

One method is to put the cereal in a large container, and once the slugs congregate inside, you can either remove them or dispose of the container to eliminate them.

Jane shared: "This is the way that I dealt with slugs in my first garden - logging the numbers in a weird serial killer-y garden notebook. I stopped counting when I got past 4,000. It is less messy if you combine it with the Weetabix technique. Simply leave the Weetabix for three days and then go out at night and collect up all the Weetabix that should by now be covered with feasting slugs."