How do I get rid of Slaters in my garden?
Turn compost frequently to discourage slaters. Store timber, bricks and rocks in full sun. Trap slaters in hollowed out orange halves or fill cardboard tubes (such as empty toilet rolls) with organic matter like potato peelings. Dispose of any slaters that congregate there overnight.
Are Slaters good or bad for the garden?
Just like worms, slaters are great for your garden as they eat organic matter and return nutrients to the soil. Having a few slaters around will keep your plants happy and healthy. You’ll find them under logs, rocks, leaf matter, compost, pot plants and amongst mulched areas of your garden.
How do you kill Slaters?
Slaters are easily killed with a direct spray of insecticides either with an aerosol or ready to use pump pack.
Do Slaters damage plants?
They help the breakdown of organic matter and can be at low population densities. At high densities, they can damage new seedlings and ripe fruit, such as strawberries in contact with the ground. Orchid growers report slaters feeding on the roots and damaging the growing tips of plants.
Do coffee grounds deter Slaters?
Use coffee grounds around the base of new seedlings to deter slaters. Make a spray of 1 litre water, ½ teaspoon pure eucalyptus oil and a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. Spray the ground around your precious plants, but try not to get it on the foliage as it will burn.
How do you make a Slater trap?
Slater, Slug and Snail Traps
- Start with adding two table spoons of sour cream or plain yoghurt in a container in the ground and at the surface level.
- Add some warm water just near the top.
- Give it a good stir to activate the cultures.
- Leave this for at least a week, stirring every now and then.
How do Slaters protect themselves?
Slaters have seven pairs of legs and are a member of the crustacean family. They have seven pairs of legs and two sets of antennaes. They roll into a ball to protect themselves from harm. They can live in extreme environments such as the desert and even Antartica.
What spray kills Slaters?
Stop woodlice coming inside your home by filling any obvious points of entry with decorators caulk or a similar product, and spray the outside area with a long lasting residual spray such as Dethlac or Digrain C40 WP woodlice killer.
Does pyrethrum kill Slaters?
Jackie French recommends mixing one part pyrethrum powder to two parts plain flour, and placing baits in, or near, the dark places that slaters shelter in during the day. Try putting the baits in jar lids inside pots laid on their sides with loosely crumpled paper in the top to darken the interior.
How do you control Slaters naturally?
Josh offers these suggestions:
- Growing strawberries in pots or growing melons over structures keeps the plants and fruit off the ground and reduces the likelihood of slater damage.
- When sowing seed keep mulch well clear of the furrow as slaters don’t like venturing far from cover.
Can you put coffee grounds straight on the garden?
Adding coffee grounds directly to the soil as a fertiliser can be a good option. Coffee grounds are rich in nutrients, especially nitrogen. They also have some amount of other nutrients like potassium and phosphorous. Overall, this means that adding coffee grounds to your garden can work fairly well as a fertiliser.
What do you do with coffee grounds in the garden?
Spread on planting beds like mulch, grounds are said to repel cats, fertilize soil, kill slugs and keep weeds at bay. A coffee mulch is also rumored to beckon earthworms and acidify soil. Other gardeners work coffee grounds into beds, swearing it aerates and acidifies soil.