I don’t know about you, but we go through a lot of eggs in my house. Eggs are delicious and packed with protein, and their shells offer up a ton of different benefits, too. So before you go throwing those eggshells out, here are 7 reasons why you should hang on to them.

1. Natural Pest Deterrent

source: Gardenista
If slugs, worms, and snails are eating your flowers, scatter some eggshells around the base of the plant. These pests don’t like the feeling of eggshells, so they’ll be sure to stay away.

2. Repels Deer

f you live near a wooded area and find that deer are munching on your plants, sprinkle some eggshells around them. Apparently, deer hate the smell of eggshells. Click here to find out deer-resistant plants.

3. Bird Feed

source: maxpixel.net
Having birds hangout around your garden is awesome because they take care of unwanted pests. Birds love eating eggshells, so sprinkle some around your garden and watch the birds fly on in.

4. Healthy Soil

source: RadMegan
Eggshells are rich in calcium and other nutrients, so broken eggshells can really benefit the health of your soil and in turn, the health of your plants.

5. Healthy Veggies

source: The Old Farmer’s Almanac
Certain vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers are prone to rotting because of calcium deficiencies. If you want to ensure your veggies stay healthy, bury some broken eggshells beneath the soil around your vegetable plants.

6. Balanced Soil

source: Abernathy’s Rabbitry
If your soil is too acidic for certain plants, burying some eggshells in the soil around them can help balance the pH level of the soil.

7. Compost

source: 50connect / Shutterstock
Crushed eggshells make for an excellent addition to your compost pile or bin. Why would you ever throw out another eggshell again when they can be composted instead?