I see so many people saying use salt. "Don't" use salt! It's bad for the PH in the soil and you will not be able to grow anything there. Others suggest beer and who knows what else. Sure those options may work if you have a "few" snails or slugs around like on a patio, but if you have a garden, yard, greenhouse, etc. then you have more than a few and need a better solution. You have to stay on top of getting dead leaves raked up and moved and try not to have much ground cover plants around (like ivy). Those two things alone will make a huge difference in the snail population.
Anyways now for the secret. I have tried it all bait, pellets, beer, coffee and it's all bologna.
What you need is diatomaceous earth (DE). "DE is a white powder made from the fossilized remains of diatoms, one-celled algae that have a skeleton made of silicon", Gillman says. "To a slithering slug, this lethal powder is extremely sharp and cuts their undersides, causing dehydration." DE does have to be replenished each time it rains, making it a better choice for climates where it does not rain frequently. (Note: Buy only untreated diatomaceous earth formulated for garden use, and wear a dust mask when applying it. DE made for swimming pools is chemically altered and not suitable for use in any garden, much less an organic one.) Yes, also this is an organic way of dealing with pesky snails and slugs alike.
Source: Organic Gardening website
Does anyone have a good way to get rid of slugs? I've tried beer, yeast, and all kinds of store bought products. Someone said Sluggo works, but I haven't seen it in any store I've been in. Any suggestions would be welcome.
By Holly from Lancaster, WI
They will not cross copper; so if you have garden beds that you can edge with copper tape, that stops them. If you cannot do that (as a more permanent solution); you can put down diatomaceous earth where you don't want them. It is made of microscopic sea organisms that are "sharp" to slugs, and they won't go on it. But you will have to replace it every time it rains.
I have heard that crushed egg shells will do similarly, but I don't know.
I use Sluggo, but it is expensive. It is more organic than some of the slug killers, though. I also try to clean out all the dead leaves from around plants, as they love to hide there.
Put salt down around your beds, the salt will kill slugs.
Slugs hate wood ash. If you have a wood stove or fireplace keep the ashes. Sprinkle the ashes around your plants, being sure to resprinkle if you water or it rains.
They don't like prickly, sharp surfaces so the broken eggshells is a good idea or any broken bits and pieces (like broken sea shells) placed around the plants they seem to favor. The eggshells will eventually decompose and help fertilize the soil.
I'm surprised the beer hasn't worked for you. I heard the best method is to put the beer in a pan and set it into the ground. If they don't overdose, they will probably drown. You do have to refresh it every few days.
I have heard that the copper works as well. I guess they get some sort of shock when they cross it ... kind of like a little electric fence. But copper is pretty expensive right now.
You can also lay a board down in the garden and they will go under it during the day. When you lift it up during the day, they will be hiding underneath and you can exterminate them by your method of choice (like sprinkling salt on them).
I have also heard that they have an aversion to caffeine and that putting coffee grounds around your plants will not only deter them because of the prickly service but the caffeine will also keep them back. The grounds will also decompose and add nutrients to the soil.
Good luck!
I am looking for a slug treatment that won't harm cats and dogs.
Hardiness Zone: 9a
By Jackie
Cut pieces of PVC into 1 foot lengths. Squeeze deadline into them (just a squirt), tilt so deadline runs towards center. Slugs can enter PVC, animals cannot.
Bury a dish up to the rim in the soil and pour in a couple of inches of beer. Slugs can't resist it. We use it all the time.
The beer works great. Every spring, when I am planting my garden, I "plant" a couple of beer bottles. Bury them a couple of feet apart, standing them straight up, so the top of the bottle is level with the ground.
I hear sprinkling hair (ask for it when yours gets cut) around the base of a plant the slugs do not like hair they wont cross it. It sticks to them. This will not harm you animals.
On the side of my house I have a silver trail were slugs go up and down, up and down. This happens at night. I can't make out where they come from. They go gable end up to apex and down about 2 feet from ground. Thank you.
By I Phelan
Put crushed egg shells where you see their path going up. This should take care of that area.
Natural remedies for slug prevention suggested by our ThriftyFun community. Post your own tips here.
I want a natural slug repellent that doesn't kill the slugs, but just deters them. I don't want the bad karma of killing them just because they're hungry.
Try sprinkling salt where they go, or put sharp rocks or sticks in their path and they will not crawl over them.
I planted tomatoes and garlic last year in an 18" raised bed and at night these black slimy things came out of the bottom under the wooden raised bed. They didn't have any shells. I finally found out that they came out just before dark.
They would climb up the sides of the bed into the plant area. One night I went out with a flashlight and captured a whole bunch of them and disposed of them. What are they? I didn't get a picture.Is there anything to rid my gardens and flower beds of slugs and snails? I can't buy enough beer to control the numbers we are infested with! In my flower beds I sometimes use a Ortho pellet, but I don't want to use pesticides on my vegetables and fruits. Any suggestions?
By Christianne A from Dansville, NY
My best success in fighting slugs has been making a two week commitment in early spring. I use a bucket of soapy water and some rubber gloves. Every evening at dusk I go around the yard gathering slugs and dropping them in the bucket.
This is a page about keeping slugs out of your garden. If you live where slugs are prevalent you know the destruction they can cause. They can quickly consume plants and ruin your garden.
Does anyone know how to make an effective, liquid slug repellent/killer?
Hardiness Zone: 8a
By Karen D. Nichols from OR
