Knowing your climate zone will help you decide the best time to sow the vegetables, herbs and flowers you want to grow, and which varieties should perform well in your garden. Growing plants that are suited to your climate zone will usually give you the best results in your garden.
You might not recognise the name Porcellio scaber, but youll definitely know the insect it refers to. Introduced to Australia from Europe along with its close cousin Armadillidium vulgare, these common bugs have since taken on the more recognisable names of slaters, butchy boys, pill bugs, wood lice, and many more.
And while they may provoke disgust or even fear when you unexpectedly uncover them, they play a vital role in your garden. You definitely want them there – but you also dont want their numbers to get out of hand.
Alpine storksbill is a beautiful flowering plant that adds charm and color to gardens. However, slaters, also known as woodlice or pillbugs, can cause damage by feeding on the tender parts of the plant. If you’ve noticed these pesky crustaceans munching on your alpine storksbill, there are some effective and natural ways to get rid of them.
Understanding Slaters
Slaters are small terrestrial creatures related to shrimp and crabs. They thrive in cool, damp areas and feed on decaying plant material. Overly moist soil and excessive garden debris provide an ideal habitat for slaters. These pests are most active at night and during overcast rainy weather.
When food sources are limited slaters will nibble on living plants targeting delicate flowers, leaves, stems, and roots. An infestation can stunt growth and even kill young seedlings. Getting rid of slaters quickly is key to protecting your alpine storksbill.
Physical Removal
Manually removing slaters by hand is one of the simplest control methods. Check under pots, boards, and garden debris for hiding slaters. Use gloves and drop pests into a bucket of soapy water. Be diligent, as slaters can repopulate quickly.
Create Barriers
Place coarse barriers like crushed eggshells, diatomaceous earth, or sandy gravel around your plants. These abrasive textures deter slaters from crawling onto the plants. Diatomaceous earth is especially effective as it dehydrates slaters upon contact.
Trap with Beer
Slaters are attracted to beer. Set out shallow containers filled with beer near infested plants. Pests will crawl in and drown. Just remember to empty the traps frequently.
Reduce Moisture
Excess moisture draws slaters. Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings. Improve drainage in soggy areas and remove thick piles of wet mulch or leaves where slaters congregate.
Eliminate Hiding Spots
Slaters seek dark, humid places to nest. Keep your garden free of debris piles, leaf litter, boards, stones, or overgrown ground cover. Tidy up to eliminate slater habitat.
Introduce Predators
Natural slater predators like ground beetles, centipedes frogs and birds will help control populations. Create a healthy ecosystem by avoiding pesticides that would kill beneficials.
Use Neem Oil
The neem tree’s oil has insecticidal properties that deter slaters. Dilute neem oil as directed and spray on and around plants. Reapply after rain.
Maintain Vigilance
Inspect plants frequently, especially young seedlings. Handpick slaters early before they multiply. Apply barriers when planting and tidy up hiding spots. With persistence, you can protect your alpine storksbill from these troublesome pests.
A combination of physical removal, barriers, traps, moisture control, tidy gardens, and neem oil will help eliminate slaters without harming other garden inhabitants. With some effort, you can safely get rid of slaters and enjoy your thriving, beautiful alpine storksbill blossoms.
How to Use Climate Zones
First, find your climate zone using the map or descriptions below. Next, refer to our sowing chart, which provides approximate sowing times for our most popular seeds for each climate zone.
While knowing your climate zone is helpful when planning your garden, there are many other factors that may affect how your plants grow, including unseasonal weather conditions, the specific microclimate of your garden and how you care for your plants. You know your garden better than us, so if a different climate zone seems to ‘fit’ your garden better, go ahead and use it as a guide.
Our climate zones cover huge areas of Australia, so we recommend gardeners also consider their local conditions when planning what and when to plant. For example, gardeners in alpine areas have shorter growing seasons than gardeners in cool coastal areas, even though both alpine and coastal areas are included in our ‘Cool Temperate’ climate zone. We recommend gardeners in cool regions look at the ‘days to maturity’ information provided for each variety and choose those that will mature in a short (6-12 week) growing season.
- Includes: Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Exmouth
- High humidity summers with most rainfall in summer and dry, warm winters. Includes northern Australia from Exmouth (WA) across to south of Townsville (Qld).
- Set as my climate My climate
- Includes: Alice Springs, Mildura, Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo
- Hot dry summers, winters can be warm or cool depending on the region. Includes a large area of central Australia from the WA coast to Charleville (Qld), Tamworth (NSW) and Albury-Wodonga (NSW/Vic).
- Set as my climate My climate
- Includes: Brisbane, Bundaberg, Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast
- Warm humid summers with high summer rainfall and mild winters. Includes coastal Queensland and northern NSW from north of Mackay to just south of Coffs Harbour.
- Set as my climate My climate
- Includes: Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Toowoomba, Central Coast NSW, Wollongong, Bunbury
- Moderate humidity and reliable rainfall, with four distinct seasons. Includes coastal areas from north of Port Macquarie to south of Woollongong in NSW, coastal SA and the southeastern coast of WA.
- Set as my climate My climate
- Includes: Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Launceston, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mt Gambier
- Low humidity with most rainfall in winter; hot dry summers and cold winters. Some regions will experience frosts and snow. Includes coastal areas of south-eastern Australia and alpine areas of Victoria, NSW and Tasmania.
- Set as my climate My climate
What if I can’t find my climate zone? If you can’t locate your zone from looking at the map or the descriptions on this page, we suggest that you think of an area that has a climate that’s similar to yours and use the zone for that area as a guide.
What if I live on the border of two zones? If you live near the border between two zones we suggest you read the descriptions for both zones and decide which best describes the climate where you live. Depending on the microclimate in your garden, you may be able to grow a wider range of plants over a longer season than others in your zone. Lucky you!
What is a microclimate? A microclimate is a small area where the temperature or humidity differs to the climate of the surrounding area. For example, if you live in a climate zone where frosts are common but your garden is protected by buildings or large trees, your garden may be frost-free. Similarly, if you live in a warm temperate zone but your garden is at a high altitude your microclimate may have more in common with the cool temperate zone, so use this as a guide when deciding which zone is relevant to you.
Can I grow varieties not listed for my climate zone? While our climate zones and sowing chart will help you decide what is suitable to plant in your garden, they provide general guidance only. We recommend you start by sowing seed that’s recommended for your climate zone; once you get a few successes under your belt you can experiment with varieties in neighbouring zones and see how you go – gardening is all about experimenting after all!
You might not recognise the name Porcellio scaber, but youll definitely know the insect it refers to. Introduced to Australia from Europe along with its close cousin Armadillidium vulgare, these common bugs have since taken on the more recognisable names of slaters, butchy boys, pill bugs, wood lice, and many more.
And while they may provoke disgust or even fear when you unexpectedly uncover them, they play a vital role in your garden. You definitely want them there – but you also dont want their numbers to get out of hand.
How to Recognise Slaters
Slaters are instantly recognisable from their segmented, grey-brown bodies of between 6mm and 12mm in length. Their seven pairs of legs are put to great use scurrying for cover when disturbed, and if that doesnt escape the threat, theyll often curl up into a tight ball for protection. Its this defensive reflex that provides yet another common name, the roley poley.
Biologically speaking, all species of slaters are among the few land-based crustaceans, belonging to the same wider family as prawns and crabs. And although their watery origins are ancient history, they still need damp conditions to survive.
This tends to stop them moving around during daylight hours, preferring to shelter in dark, moist spots until the cooler night arrives. Their favourite hiding places include behind the bark of rotting wood, underneath plant pots, within organic mulches, and under the surface of compost heaps.
You may occasionally find slaters entering your home, but this is usually just through a spirit of exploration. Most homes are too dry and bright to make a good slater habitat, and so moving the visitors outdoors again is usually the last youll see of them.
How to Get Rid of Pill Bugs
FAQ
What is the best killer for Slaters?
How to get rid of slater?
How do you control Storksbill?
What does a stork’s Bill look like?
Common Stork’s-bill is hairy plant of dry grasslands, and bare and sandy areas, both inland and around the coast. Its bright pink flowers appear in May and last through the summer until August. The resulting seed pods are shaped like a crane’s bill (hence the name) and explode when ripe, sending the seeds, with their feathery ‘parachutes’, flying.
How do I get rid of stork’s Bill?
Finally, make sure to give all equipment that has been in infested fields a good clean, to make sure no seeds are transferred. There are some good cultural control methods for Stork’s Bill, starting with spring and fall cultivation in crop fields, which will destroy the seedlings that have grown in summer and fall germination.
How do I get rid of slaters?
There are products such as diatomaceous earth (which is natural) or soil insect killer (which is chemical) used to control slaters but try removing their habitat first and see if that makes a difference, it will definitely reduce the slater population.
Can fall rye control stork’s Bill?
Applying fall rye can also be used as a control method. Good crop compensation from spring-seeded cereals or fall rye can create an environment that can fight against Stork’s Bill. Stork’s Bill needs to be treated as early as possible due to the fact that it quickly advances through its growth stages.