Slugs and snails may be "more outdoors than in", but after rain, they can be "everywhere" - something that could spell bad news for your plants, even if they are potted09:03, 03 Jun 2026Protecting your potted plants from slugs and snails could be as straightforward as reaching for one unlikely bathroom staple, it has been claimed. Despite their reputation as garden pests, slugs and snails actually form part of your garden's biodiversity, and are "superb at recycling waste vegetative matter", according to BBC Gardener's World's Monty Don.‌As he points out, however, they "do not discriminate between a fallen leaf and a delicious young seedling" — but there may be hope for exasperated gardeners.‌A recent piece examining how rainfall drives common pests indoors highlighted creatures such as rats, mice, ants, spiders and mosquitoes — plus slugs, which Monty notes in his blog have been considered gardeners' "public enemy number one".‌Slugs and snails are "more outdoors than in", according to Household Advice Editor Katie Mortram, who nevertheless warned they'll get "everywhere" after a downpour, potentially spelling problems for your plants.She wrote in Good Housekeeping: "The additional moisture on the ground and in the air makes the environment ideal for their survival and travel. And your damp plants are pre-watered for consumption."‌Katie went on to offer some practical guidance: "As for slugs and snails, you can protect your plants with a few small adjustments. You can create a barrier of eggshells, coffee grounds, wool pellets or copper rings."For potted plants, applying petroleum jelly on the outside of the pot acts as another measure."In other news, Richard, presenter of Sheffield Made Gardens and Sheffield Made Plants on YouTube, revealed a cost-free method of deterring slugs and other pests using an everyday garden item.‌As part of a series highlighting reasons to hold onto your old plant pots rather than binning them, Richard suggested repurposing one for this very use, noting that pests appeared to have gone on an "absolute rampage" in his garden.He said: "This year, it seems like slugs and other pests have been on an absolute rampage. My marigolds over there have been eaten by something in the greenhouse. So, I need something to keep them at bay. And plastic pots are just the answer.Article continues below"So, grab a pot that's going to fit over the plant, very susceptible to pests, like my marigolds are. And we're just going to take our scissors and just go through the drainage hole and make a snip."He then pierced the base of a plastic plant pot with scissors and cut around it to fashion a protective "collar", before continuing: "And then we can get in there and just cut the bottom off like so."Just go all the way around. Doesn't have to be too neat. And there you have it. So that has just created a nice collar that I can stick over my susceptible plants and just dig it into the soil a little bit, just so it protects them a bit better."