When you've got babies and toddlers crawling along the floor, the last thing you want is slugs creeping into your home or snails taking over the garden.
There is help at hand, however, from gardening experts – who've given us all the tips for ridding your home and garden of these pesky creatures (and how to keep them away!)
As well as the one thing you absolutely shouldn't do.
Why you shouldn't use slug pellets in your garden
While it may be tempting to scatter the slug pellets around your garden to deter slugs and snails, doing so can often cause more harm than good to your plants.
The RHS says that gardeners should not use slug pellets – even if they're organic.
The organisation says:
'Slug pellets (even organic ones) have been shown to have negative effects on wildlife in the garden. It is much better to encourage natural predators and use the cultural and biological control methods.'
What do experts say?
Instead, the RHS advises using natural methods such as barriers and traps, or opting for plants that slugs aren't attracted to, such as fennel, day lilies, houseleeks and nasturtium.
While the organisation says that barriers can repel slugs, it adds that many of these 'do not have any scientific evidence to prove they are effective'.
If you go down this route, the RHS advises including 'rough or sharp textured mulches and substances considered distasteful or strong smelling'.
Traps, the RHS adds, can also be worth a try.
Experts suggest 'traps, such as scooped-out half orange, grapefruit, or melon skins, can be laid out cut side down or jars part-filled with beer and sunk into the soil near vulnerable plants'.
The natural remedies to rid your garden (and home) of slugs and snails
Natural methods to rid your garden of slugs and snails and create a barrier in your garden include crushed eggshells, which will deter these creatures with their texture.
The rough material of the crushed eggshell will irritate the snails' sensitive feet, leaving them to go off elsewhere in search of food and not touch your plants.
Experts revealed:
'You can also use sharp objects, such as crushed eggshells and sandpaper, to deter the snails.
'These objects will irritate the snails’ sensitive foot, causing them to leave the area in search of other food sources.'
Caffeine grounds also work in a similar way – the sharp edges of coffee grounds can deter them.
However, when slugs and snails ingest coffee grounds, they become dehydrated and die.
Other methods include using copper tape – a method which can help stop these pests entering parts of your garden, as they just won't be able to cross it.
And water bottle tops and glass bottle capsules can also be a very effective physical barrier against slugs and snails.
The sharp edges of caps and corks, in particular, deter them from crawling over them to reach your plants.