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There are many ways to get rid of slugs in a greenhouse. If the invasion is not very large, folk remedies and mechanical traps help. You can scatter egg or nut husks, mustard powder along the beds, and treat the plantings themselves with an infusion of garlic or chili pepper. Traps also give a good result – they can be purchased at the store or made by yourself.
Signs of the appearance of slugs in the greenhouse
To get rid of slugs in a greenhouse, you need to know the signs of their appearance. First of all, they can be determined visually. Slugs are mollusks without shells, which distinguishes them from ordinary garden snails. The body is quite large, reaching a length of 3-5 cm, sometimes even up to 15-30 cm. The color is varied: from pale gray and ashen to yellowish, brown and brown.
Slugs appear in the greenhouse at night, because in the morning and during the day they prefer to hide in shelters (corners, thickets, stones, plant debris, heaps). The main signs of the appearance of pests:
- damaged stems in young seedlings;
- holes on sheet plates;
- holes in fruits, berries;
- mucus on the surface of plants, on the walls of the greenhouse;
- dry shiny stripes that can be seen not only on the leaves, but also on the surface of the soil.
The name of the pests is connected with the fact that they secrete mucus – a thick or liquid secret. Lubrication reduces friction, which allows them to move not only on horizontal, but also on vertical surfaces in the greenhouse.
Causes of defeat
Slugs are distributed almost everywhere, especially in the temperate zone (middle zone, Chernozem region, Volga region, southern regions of Our Country). It is completely impossible to insure against this pest, since invasions are observed almost every season.
Slugs are active at night
At the same time, there are several factors that can provoke the appearance of a pest in the greenhouse and in the open field:
- cloudy, rainy weather;
- moderately warm summer;
- too thick, tight fit;
- high humidity;
- uncollected garbage, stones, old furniture, heaps of grass.
Why are slugs dangerous?
Slugs are dangerous for planting in the greenhouse and in the open field in spring, summer and autumn, so you need to get rid of them. Pests eat mainly leaves of plants – cabbage, strawberries and other berries, cucumbers, tomatoes, grapes.
They skillfully crawl from one planting to another and can destroy almost all plants. Slugs in the greenhouse are of particular danger, since a constantly humid environment with high air temperature is created here – these are favorable conditions for the life of the mollusk.
Another danger is that slugs are carriers of viruses and fungi that can lead to massive infection of plants. If no action is taken, crop losses can be very significant. If mollusks and indirect signs of their appearance are found, it is necessary to immediately begin to destroy the pest.
How to deal with slugs in a greenhouse
It is quite possible to completely remove slugs from the greenhouse, since there are quite a few proven means for this. The mollusks are large, so at first they are simply removed by hand or set up traps. At the same time, processing is carried out, and agricultural practices are also applied.
Mechanical methods
First of all, the slugs in the greenhouse are harvested by hand. Other mechanical methods of struggle are also used:
- Traps. To do this, pour corn flour or a wet newspaper into the jar, drop it into the soil or put it on its side, put it overnight. Then destroy the collected pests.
- Mechanical barriers – bottoms, walls, necks of plastic bottles, old slate or wooden sides are suitable. They can be treated with tar, which will scare away the slugs already a few meters from the plantings in the greenhouse.
- You can also buy inexpensive traps in a country store and dig them into the ground.
- It is permissible to put a bottle with a small amount of beer (preferably dark), cut the neck, dig in the soil, and collect the caught mollusks in the morning.
Slugs can be caught in a can of dark beer
Chemicals for slugs in the greenhouse
Recently, quite a few chemicals have appeared that help get rid of slugs and other shellfish in the greenhouse. The most effective means include the following: “Thunderstorm”, “Ulitsid”, “Slug-eater”.
Agricultural practices
Agricultural methods are mainly used to prevent the appearance of slugs:
- Digging the soil every autumn and spring to a depth of at least 5 cm. Slugs lay their eggs in the ground (about 3 cm). They are white or translucent.
- Ensuring normal planting density. Even if there is little space, a certain distance must be left between seedlings – usually from 30 cm. Dense plantings create favorable conditions not only for slugs, but also for insects, as well as fungal infections.
- Regular weeding, loosening the soil. It is also necessary to periodically change the mulch (straw, sawdust, hay).
Fighting slugs in the greenhouse with folk remedies
You can fight slugs in the greenhouse with folk remedies. The easiest way is to scatter the following substances around the perimeter of the plantings:
- crushed chili pepper;
- a piece of chalk;
- slaked lime or superphosphate (30 g per square meter);
- tobacco dust, shag;
- shells of nuts or eggs;
- mustard powder.
You can get rid of slugs with improvised folk remedies
You can also treat plants or paths with the following compositions:
- Table salt – 100 g per 10 liters. In this case, only the territory is sprayed, for example, along the perimeter of plantings in a greenhouse.
- Soda ash – scatter the powder in small quantities along the borders of the greenhouse and along the paths, also walk through secluded corners where shellfish can accumulate.
- Mustard powder – 50 g per glass of water, leave for several hours and dilute four times (up to 1 liter). Carry out a total treatment of plants.
- Infusion of garlic cloves and arrows – grind 300 g, pour 10 liters of water and stand for two days, strain, process the plantings.
- Take 1 kg of chili peppers, chop, pour a bucket of water at room temperature. Withstand 72 hours. Then boil for a few minutes and leave for 2-3 days. Strain and process plantings.
- Take coffee, dissolve 2 tsp. in a small glass. Water the soil along the paths. This is a fairly effective remedy – usually two treatments are enough.
- Infuse the leaves of the delphinium flower – 1 kg of crushed raw materials per 10 liters of warm water. The infusion is prepared for two days, after which the agent is filtered and the plantings are processed.
- Ammonia – 4 tbsp. l. for 1 bucket of water. Water the soil next to the plantings.
preventive measures
The appearance of slugs in the greenhouse can be completely prevented. Experienced gardeners recommend using the following preventive measures:
- Ventilate the greenhouse regularly, especially after watering and spraying. On hot days, doors and vents are left open around the clock to ensure the maximum flow of fresh air.
- Treat the greenhouse from slugs in the spring using the chemicals described above or folk remedies. First, thoroughly wash all surfaces with detergent, then spray. Also for the destruction of pests, you can use sulfur checkers.
- In autumn, carefully remove all plant debris, as pests can overwinter in them. Do not create piles next to the greenhouse or beds – this is an ideal environment for slugs and numerous insects.
- Remove the lower leaves of tomatoes, cabbage and other crops. It is they who attract slugs in the first place, create conditions of high humidity.
Conclusion
You can get rid of slugs in the greenhouse quite quickly, especially at the first stage of the invasion, when there are not so many pests yet, and they did not have time to lay their eggs. Destruction begins with traps and mechanical collection of mollusks. After that, plantings are treated with drugs or solutions according to folk recipes. It is also necessary to observe preventive measures, especially in the spring and autumn.
