Slug pellets were previously the go-to method for many people hoping to rid gardens of the pests.
Following guidance from the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides and the Health and Safety Executive, Methaldehyde pellets will no longer be sold to control garden pests.
Alongside their removal from shop shelves, the government has prohibited the use of the controversial pesticide.It comes just a few weeks after the Royal Horticultural Society announced that they would no longer class slugs and snails as pests.
Promoting their important role in maintaining as organic gardeners and place in a healthy ecosystem, the society has been advocating the benefits of slugs and snails in the garden.
Charity Garden Organic has said the toxins from pellets can find their way into rivers and freshwaters, posing wider harm to the environment and other wildlife.
And that there have been cases of dogs ingesting pellets leading to sickness and even death.
Gardeners will now have to rely on other methods such as beer or water traps to capture the slimy visitors.
How can you stop slugs now?
Now that slug pellets are no longer available, gardening experts have advised that DIY beer traps are the best way to contain the slimy critters.
According to experts, slugs and snails love the yeasty aromas given off by beer.
By filling up a plastic container with a small amount of beer and burying the trap an inch or two below the soil line, slugs will fall in and drown.
Copper tape is also considered to be a natural slug repellent.
Placing an copper tape around the rim of your plant pots to act as a deterrent for slugs.
Gardening enthusiasts are sharing their top tips online, with their eggshell method for preventing slugs from eating crops and plants. Sprinkle crushed egg shells around the base of the plant was the most popular tip.
