Slugs on cabbage: how to prevent and control them

Folk remedies for dealing with slugs on cabbage

Gardeners often prefer to combat slugs using traditional methods. Several are available today:

1. The "Beer Method." Beer is a favorite treat for parasites, but it also has a very negative effect on them. Bury containers filled with the drink near the cabbage. The snails, smelling the beer, will rush toward it and try to taste it. As a result, the slugs will simply fall into the beer containers and die. In the morning, all you need to do is clear the cabbage patch of slugs. It's worth noting that both fresh and stale beer will work for these traps. This is because snails have a very keen sense of smell.
2. Spraying will help get rid of pests. To treat cabbage, you can use one of the folk remedies. Option one: brew or use instant coffee. For effective slug control on cabbage, double the amount of coffee. A solution made from ammonia will also help get rid of caterpillars. Dilute the alcohol 1:6 and spray it on the plant. The pests will disappear without harming the plant. However, avoid using this solution frequently, as it can cause the cabbage to dry out.
3. Traps can also help get rid of caterpillars. Ideal materials for creating these traps include burlap, boards, wet rags, and so on. It's best to place the traps in dark, damp places where slugs typically hide. Once the pests have gathered on the traps, simply collect and dispose of them.
4. Another very simple way to combat parasites is to simply block their access to the plants. How do you do this? Mollusks always move along smooth surfaces. Because their bodies are unprotected, any roughness can cause injury. Therefore, pests will be deterred from reaching the cabbage if you sprinkle sand or crushed eggshells or nuts around it.

Video: "Cabbage Care"

This video shows how to control gnats and slugs on cabbage.

Chemical methods

Chemicals are rarely used to get rid of caterpillars. This is because the pests are relatively resistant to such substances.

However, if you decide to treat your cabbage with chemicals, use metaldehyde-based products (for example, "Groza" or "Meta"). These products attract and kill caterpillars. They appear as blue granules. Each packet is sufficient to treat two square meters of garden space.

After using chemicals, you'll watch as the pests gather for dinner and die. It's important to note that metaldehyde is hazardous to humans and animals. Therefore, pets should be kept away from the treated area. All fruits and vegetables grown there should be thoroughly washed before consumption.

Prevention

Getting rid of caterpillars is much more difficult than preventing them. Therefore, it's important to pay special attention to preventing slugs from appearing in your garden beds. Slugs love dark, damp places, such as accumulations of rotting leaves, firewood, and old rags. Therefore, to prevent these pests from settling in your garden, it's essential to systematically and thoroughly remove all debris from the area. Weeds should also be removed promptly and good air circulation should be ensured between plantings.

Another way to prevent caterpillars from appearing is to block their access to the garden. This method is especially effective in areas near a body of water.

At the end of summer, the parasites enter a period of active reproduction. The female lays up to 200 eggs in the soil, which hatch in mid-spring. Therefore, an effective method of preventing caterpillars in the spring is to destroy their eggs. The mollusks usually lay their young in dark, damp places, so cleaning the area is essential.

In summer, after watering, it's important to loosen the soil. This will help prevent cracks, which are a favorite nesting ground for pests. For the same purpose, it's a good idea to remove the lower leaves from the cabbage.

After the harvest, all plant debris must be removed from the garden. This will leave the mollusks without food or shelter.

You can also prevent these "guests" from appearing by sprinkling ash, either pure or mixed with tobacco dust, into the holes around the cabbage. Repeat this procedure every couple of weeks.

So, there are various ways to get rid of slugs. It's enough to use folk remedies or treat the cabbage with chemicals. However, it's much easier to prevent the parasites than to deal with them later. Therefore, it's important to focus on prevention, especially since there are a huge number of preventative methods.

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