This winter in the garden we have been battling slugs, earwigs, and sow bugs (also known as pill bugs or the childhood name, rolly pollies). They have been eating their way through cabbages, chard, beets, and many other crops. To save our plants from these crawling critters, we've had to pull out all the organic weapons in our arsenal.
First, we bought beer. No, the slugs did not drive us to drink. By burying small dishes at soil level in our garden beds and filling them almost to the brim with beer, we were able to lure the slugs and pill bugs. They seemed enticed by the yeast smell. After their beer fest, they then fell into the vat and drowned.
Don't laugh! The first week we set 10 traps and caught 84 slugs. To keep the rainwater from diluting the beer, we made a simple cover with plastic and a stick. We've been replenishing our beer levels and continuing to get results. Recycled containers can be used to fashion the dish and lean-to, and the cheapest beer you can find will do the trick.
We also spread diatomaceous earth on the soil surface around plants. Diatomaceous earth, or DE, is a naturally-occurring soft sedimentary rock consisting of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. It acts as a dessicant that dries out insects when they crawl across it. It can be purchased at Amazon.com or at most, good, garden centers. It need to be replenished after a rain or frequent watering.
If that's not enough, we also on occasion sprinkle Monterey Sluggo, an insect and slug bait that has recently been OMRI certified for organic gardening. Heads up--a little goes a long way with this stuff. We use about a half cup on a 50 square foot bed. And this organic pesticide is now available at Costco!
Finally, no Integrated Pest Mangagement (IPM) at Love Apple would be complete without hand-picking. With the help of some dedicated volunteers, we scour the beds and plants for these pesky pests.
While we will never completely eradicate the pests, with constant efforts, we can control them to a level that we, and our plants, can live with.