4 Ways to Keep Garden Pests Away with Eggshells

Eggshell has its place in the garden, this natural organic can not only be used to promote healthy plants but will help to deter garden pests that will seek to rob you of your (edible garden) harvest or feasting on your prized plants including your flower beds. The use of eggshells in the garden is popular, many gardeners are taking advantage of this method not only to keep garden pests at bay but to ensure they are growing plants in an environment not contaminated by harmful pesticides which can negatively impact not only our home gardens but our ecosystem. Here are several ways to control garden pests with eggshells besides the other benefits eggshells offer.

1. Keep Snails and Slugs Way with Eggshells

Snails and slugs can do a number on edible gardens and garden flower beds, I have dealt with snails on many occasions and have seen what can happen to plants because of snails/and slugs’ destructive behavior when it comes to their feeding. Besides visibly seeing snails and slugs here are other signs that will tell if you have a snails and a slug issue. Silvery slime trails may be evident, irregular holes in the leaves, and sometimes these holes can be seen in the flowers and the stems.

Besides the use of snail baits eggshells can be used, this method works by collecting enough eggshells and allowing them to air or dry out, once the shells have aired out place them in a plastic bag followed by lightly crushing the eggshells with a hammer or other firm object. Now sprinkle the shells around your garden flower beds, ornamental plants, and crops. The jagged edges of the shells will cut into the slug and snail’s bodies delivering pain that will discourage snails and slugs from your garden. These cuts will also cause the snails/slugs to become dehydrated followed by death.

2 Deter Deer with Eggshells

Deers are beautiful graceful animals that are a delightful treat when they visit our gardens, however, what is not so good about their presence is nibbling on our flower garden and other ornamental plants. A recommended remedy that is popular among gardeners is to use eggshells. This method works by breaking up eggshells and sprinkling around plants in the garden that are a favorite of deers. The scent of the eggshell will keep days away because deers hate the eggshell’s odor.

3. Control Rabbits with Eggs

Rabbits are some of the cutest mammals that love to visit gardens in search of their next meal, but like other pests that feed on garden plants, rabbits don’t care about how beautiful your plants are growing. They will get their fill of your prized plants and your vegetables. To deter rabbits from your garden blend 2 eggs for 30 seconds, next add water to this mixture and place this blended solution into a 32 oz spray bottle, and spray around plants that rabbits are attracted to. Rabbits hate the scent and will not hang around.

4. Use Eggshells to Keep Cutworms at Bay

Cutworms will quickly eat through the tender stems of the tomato plant, to bring control to these worms sprinkle dried crushed eggshells around the base of your tomato plant until you form a circle. The jagged edges of the eggshell will cut into the cutworm’s body as they attempt to get to your tomato causing cutworms to avoid to keep away but the cuts that were already made in the worm’s body will cause dehydration leading to death of the cutworm.

Other Benefits of Using Eggshells

Besides being used as a natural means to deter garden pests here are other benefits of eggshells.

• Crushing up dry eggshells and sprinkling them around garden plants will add nutrients to the soil as the eggshell breaks down.
• Eggshells can be used as a seed starter after you have used your cartoon of eggs place each part of the eggshell back in the egg cartoon now simply put soil in the shell followed by adding the seed.
• Adding crushed dried eggshells to your compost bin will help to enrich the soil as it breaks down.
•  Adding eggshells to the soil for eggplants and tomatoes will add the calcium needed to prevent blossom end rot.
• Adding eggshells to the soil will help to reduce the soil’s acidity level.

Conclusion

Eggshell has their place in the garden, this natural organic has proven to benefit garden plants in so many ways, so the next time you use an egg or two, before throwing away the eggshell away remember to save them for your garden which can work wonders not only to keep pests away but to boost plant health.