If there's one garden pest that's universally despised, it's slugs. Not only do they eat your prized vegetables, herbs, and flowers at night while you sleep, but when you do catch them, they're so slimy and squishy that many gardeners won't even touch them, let alone kill them. However, slugs can be outwitted.
Prevention. Slugs like a dark, damp environment, so anything you can do to create a light, dry environment will discourage them from hanging around. If you have slug problems, forgo mulch, space plants farther apart, and cultivate the soil frequently to keep it dry on the surface.
Barriers. Being soft-bodied creatures, slugs don't like anything sharp. They will get cut and often will dry up and die. Sprinkle sharp sand, diatomaceous earth, or dried, crushed egg- or oyster shells around favored plants. Refresh the materials after heavy rains. If you have a raised bed, permanent border, or container, fasten strips of copper flashing around the bed, and slugs will
avoid it since they get a shock when they come in contact with copper.
Traps. Using slugs' propensity for hiding in the dark, place boards on garden pathways. Early in
the morning, turn over the boards and knock the slugs into a bucket of soapy water. Slugs also
like beer (actually the yeast in beer). Create a slug trap by sinking an empty coffee can-size container into the soil to the soil line and fill it with beer. At night the slugs will dive in to feast
and eventually drown. Clean out the trap in the morning.
Baits. Although the commonest slug control baits contain the slightly toxic chemical metaldehyde, some new baits, such as iron phosphate, are less toxic to animals and humans. Any bait will have to be reapplied after a rain, and you should be careful not to sprinkle baits where pets and young children can easily eat them.
Tools
- Sharp sand, diatomaceous earth, eggshells, or oyster shells
- Copper flashing
- Iron phosphate, metaldehyde, or beer baits
- Container for beer
Tips
Slugs will shrivel and die when they come in contact with salt. Try sprinkling salt on slugs to
control them.
Slugs cause the most damage on young plants, so make extra efforts to protect them from
damage.
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