Home & Garden
Ideas from the kitchen to keep insects out of your garden
If bugs and insects are attacking your vegetable patch, there’s no need to reach for the chemicals. In fact, head to your kitchen for many simple ways to get rid of slugs, snails, caterpillars and worms.
- If you spot a plant that is being attacked, try sprinkling some crushed eggshells underneath it. You will find that this deters the crawling bugs such as snails and slugs.
- Herbs such as mint, citronella, basil and lemongrass can keep bugs at bay as they dislike the aroma.
- Place some orange rinds around the garden at night to attract slugs. You can then pick up the rinds and slugs the next day and toss them on your compost heap.
- Place some beer in a shallow container in your garden near plants that are being targeted (such as lettuce). Snails and slugs won’t be able to resist climbing in and won’t be able to get out.
- If worms are eating your home-grown veggies, try sprinkling some self-raising flour over the plants. While this is harmless to humans (just be sure to wash them before eating) it is going to keep the worms away from your produce.
- Sprinkle coffee grounds in areas where slugs and snails are living – they don’t like the smell or taste and will move along.
- Unlike slugs and snails that prefer to get busy in your garden at night, caterpillars can be easily be removed by hand when they are spotted in the daytime.
Related links:
Take a look inside the beautiful gardens of the Over60 community
What you should know about how fertilisers impact the environment
Your guide to vertical gardens