2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
The shells from the most ordinary chicken eggs are not only absolutely free, but also very effective and valuable raw material for protection against a wide variety of garden pests! Agree, there are not so few pests in our summer cottages, so in order not to be left completely without a crop, you should not relax and let the situation take its course! But you shouldn't despair either, because with the help of eggshells you can solve an impressive part of unpleasant problems
The effectiveness of the eggshell
Surely many summer residents have heard at least once about diatomite, or diatomaceous earth - this organic pesticide is nothing more than the fossil remains of various animals ground into a fine powder. And as an insecticide, it is valued for the ability of its small particles to easily penetrate under tiny scales on the body of pests - there they already act like sharp fragments of broken glass, which in turn gradually leads to the inevitable death of pests. And slugs with snails, crawling on such a powder, receive damage incompatible with life.
Crushed egg shells work in almost the same way! The main thing is to properly prepare the appropriate powder from this simple raw material. In general, the process of its preparation is divided into three independent stages: this is the cleaning of the prepared raw material, its further drying and, of course, its subsequent grinding.
It makes sense to rinse in water only those shells on which there are obvious traces of protein or yolk. As a rule, in the case of boiled eggs, this is not relevant - in most cases, the shell of boiled eggs is already clean, however, sometimes particles of cooked protein can adhere to it, which are quite enough to carefully remove with a fork.
But it is imperative to dry the shells of the eggshell and in all cases! If there are not very many shells, it will be quite enough just to hold it for a day or two on a paper towel. It is not forbidden to fold it in paper bags, however, in this case it will take longer to dry. And if you put the shell in the oven turned on at the minimum power, it will dry in just five to ten minutes!
When it comes to crushing the shells, a regular coffee grinder or kitchen grinder will do the job best. And in order to fit more shells into these gadgets, it does not hurt to pre-wrinkle it a little with your hands.
How to use against pests?
Powdered eggshells are generously scattered in places where pests accumulate. However, due to the fact that such a remedy can also lead to the death of beneficial insects, it is best to use it pointwise, that is, in those areas where especially harmful individuals are fierce. If it is necessary to protect specific plants from the invasion of all kinds of crawling pests like snails or slugs, sprinkle egg powder in a thin layer (this layer must be continuous!) Right around these plants.
How to store?
The rest of the ground egg powder should be stored in dark and dry rooms in hermetically sealed containers. And so that mold does not form on it, you can put the container with the powder on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator.
Other use cases
If you have absolutely no desire to store egg powder, you can sprinkle it with the remains of a compost heap or add it to the soil during the autumn processing of the beds - this approach will help enrich the soil not only with calcium, but also with a number of other vital natural minerals!
Are you throwing away the eggshells, or do you have your own uses?
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