Stop throwing them away. Boil eggshells and say goodbye to… Show more

The “secret” behind that viral tip is usually using boiled eggshells in the garden. The claim is that the shells can help with pests such as slugs and snails, while also adding calcium to soil.

Here’s the idea in more detail:

• Save the shells after cooking eggs and rinse off any remaining egg.
• Boil them for a few minutes, mainly to clean and sanitize them.
• Let them dry completely.
• Crush them into small pieces or, ideally, a coarse powder.
• Sprinkle them around plants or incorporate them into the soil.

The important caveat: eggshells aren’t a magic pest killer. Sharp, coarse shells may sometimes discourage soft-bodied pests from crossing a barrier, but research doesn’t support treating them as a consistently effective slug/snail control. Their calcium also becomes available to plants relatively slowly.

So if the viral sentence is “Stop throwing them away. Boil eggshells and say goodbye to…”, “slugs and snails” is the likely intended ending, but the claim is exaggerated.