Slug Myths: The Slug & Razor Evidence

The Myth That Eggshells, Wool, Ashes & Brambles Stops or Deters Slugs Continues.  Here’s The Evidence It Is A Myth. See Slugs Climb Over Razor  Blades In This Post.

All year I read posts with unproven gardening claims, some heard on TV, some from books and magazines and some from other gardeners. They’d make me smile if it weren’t so sad that some gardeners believe the unproven. Here’s one about Slug Myths, and my proof it isn’t true.

Of course it is understandable that people believe what the hear from many sources. As Joseph Geobbels  said, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.“

When experienced gardeners point out that there is no evidence for some of these myths they frequently get the “It works for me” reply. In the case of slugs this means that someone has used eggshells and not had a slug problem. It’s excellent that they’ve not experienced a problem with slugs, I’m delighted for them, but it doesn’t prove it was down to the eggshells, or whatever else they now swear by.

Don’t correlate the result with causation. It’s like saying every time it rains people use umbrellas, if they didn’t use brollies it wouldn’t rain! Or that the faster that windmills rotate, the windier it is and that proves that wind is caused by windmills. (Are windmills really there to produce wind?)

How Eggshells, Brambles, Ashes and Wool Allegedly Work

Myth believers explain these products work because slugs and snails don’t like the sharp edges or that the products dry out the slime and cause the slug or snail problems.

The scientific evidence is dismissed. The evidence that the slime protects the slugs and snails from sharp edges and drying out. Slime actually consists of 98% water and 2% sugars and protein that form a mobile but impenetrable shield for these molluscs. It’s an incredible shield that evolved over millenia and made slugs and snails extremely successful .. and that’s why they are such a problem to us!

The Video Evidence: Slugs Crawling Over Razor Blades & Scalpels

At this point some readers will be interested enough to look at the evidence. Others will not bother because they know their method is 100% perfect and has always worked for them. 🙂

So here are two videos for those with open minds. They both shows slugs climbing over sharp edges. In one video it’s a slug climbing over a razor blade. In the other the slug first goes over the scalpel, then it moves along the sharp edge of a scalpel.

If slugs can do this without being cut to ribbons is it likely that a few eggshells is going to be too sharp to deter them?

Is it time to consider the fact that slugs and snails aren’t worried by the sharp substances that are often claimed to prevent them attacking our plants.

Here Are Two Slug And Sharp Edges Videos

Enjoy them.

Here’s Slug Myths video Number Two

Tag: Slug Myths: The Slug & Razor Evidence

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