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
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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.
Slugs are strongly attracted to moist, used corn cobs. Place them in a shady spot near where you have a slug problem and in the morning you can either salt them or collect and dispose of them.
Are you having trouble deciding what to do to kill the slugs on your okra, bell pepper plants, and flowers. I was having a huge problem and tried a few things. Well, here is the best, quickest, cheapest solution.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
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.
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.
Copper tape/strips and also copper compounds will repel them, not kill them. And also check out how to make your yard less hospitable to slugs in the first place:
www.getridofthings.com/
www.extension.umn.edu/
Slugs hate to cross over crushed eggshells! It is worth a try
Try chopped egg shells and fresh coffee grounds. I also heard Sluggo works and is not harmful to other animals. Don't worry about killing them, there won't be any bad Karma. There's only blessings and curses and if you get rid of them anyway you can, you'll be blessed!
I tried the crushed egg shells around my pumpkin plants and it works like a charm. I have not seen any slugs on my plants and the egg shells look kinda cool too. From a distance, they look like crushed white rock. Give it a try! It works!
Thanks, everybody, for your input.
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.Put small bowls of beer. They will drown in it. They also don't like eggshells
You could fill a cup half way with milk/beer. There are other useful methods referenced below.
Reference: www.wikihow.com/
If you want to trap them in a humane way, they love cabbage leaves and citrus rinds that are wet. You can set a trap to catch them using these in another location nearby.
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
The methods I have used in the past, mostly I buy Slug Pellets which I buy from the local "Pound Store" as I live in the U.K. but I guess you could get from the local Dollar Store, and they are very cheap, and a handfull covers a really wide area, if you get heavy rains you do need to renew the action, Also you could use "Methylated Spirit which you can get from any Pharmacy and is quite cheap, you would need to use 50/50 mix with water and shake well as you use, you can use in the same way that you use beer but this should be a much cheaper way.
Many of the slug pellets use a solidified form of spirit called Meta. Hope this is useful.
I have had some luck with broken egg shells placed around the plants. Try the farmers almanac for some info.
I had many many slugs in my flower bed. I took a glass jar (prego spaghetti jar) filled it about 1/3 full with yellow cornmeal, then turned it on its side so the cornmeal wa spred out and to the rim. Then put the jar in you garden on its side under a plant or any place you have seen the slugs. The slugs eat the cornmeal and die. I also liked this because the cornmeal would stay dry if it rained. This was very effective for me. I hope it helps you!!
Does anyone know how to make an effective, liquid slug repellent/killer?
Hardiness Zone: 8a
By Karen D. Nichols from OR
I too have trouble with slugs. I would go out to the garden each morning and "pick" the slugs off. (save for fishing bait) This summer I have used milorganite fertilizer in my gardens and flower containers. The slugs have stayed away. I have also used slug and snail powder purchased at any garden center. That also works, but must be repeated frequently.
I have read that you can put beer in a pie pan and set it out. They seem to love it and crawl in and can't get out; "wonder why"? haha. You can also crush discarded egg shells and throw this around your garden and plants. I personally have done this for years and have not had a slug problem.
How go I get rid of slugs? They are overtaking my decking and I want to get rid of them.
By Jem from Scotland
There are several different ways, I have tried most all but the easiest I found was taking jar lids or cut bottom off 16 oz. soda bottles and filling with beer, and placing at out of the way areas on the deck, and let them do the work and just throw the lid full of slugs away. Also have seen and tried spreading regular table salt around the deck area there again if it rains washes out and have to redo. Good luck on any "home remedy" you try.
How do I permanently get rid of slugs? My front and back yard are overrun with slugs. I have used Sluggo, but you have to use it again every couple of weeks. I can't afford that! The slugs have totally destroyed my yard. There are holes and little mounds of dirt everywhere. My dog goes out in the yard and when she comes back in, she has slug slime all over her paws, because you can't walk anywhere in my yard with out stepping on a slug. Someone please help. They are driving me crazy (literally)!
By Zoe AB
Please share thrifty, but humane, ways to repel slugs and snails from the vegetable garden. Please do not include any methods that involve killing the animals.
By kumarihpx
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.
By setting out shallow bowls filled with beer you can control slugs in your garden without the use of pesticides. This is a page about use beer to prevent slugs.
Used in the proper proportion ammonia to water, many gardeners have had success in controlling slugs by spraying with this mixture. This is a page about using ammonia for slug control.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
Natural remedies for slug prevention suggested by our ThriftyFun community. Post your own tips here.
I need to get rid of slugs that are taking over my back yard. Please help. What are my options? I do have pets, so I do need safe products.
