Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Traps and Traps
• Method 2 of 4: Preventing slugs
• Method 3 of 4: Natural Predators
• Method 4 of 4: Chemicals
• Tips
• Warnings

Slugs are the scourge of many gardeners. These small gastropods crawl under cover of night and eat the leaves and fruits of many plants. Don't let them get into your favorite garden - it's better to take measures that will protect the garden and plants from them. There are many ways, including the use of natural predators, to get rid of garden slugs in no time. Note that all of the above methods work equally well for not only slugs but snails as well.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Traps and Traps

1. 1 Use beer or milk traps near valuable plants. Slugs only notice these traps at a distance of about a meter, so they are better suited for small gardens or for protecting small areas. Set these traps like this:
   • Bury a tall container with steep walls in the soil so that about 1.2 cm of the container rises above the soil surface. This will prevent beetles that hunt slugs from getting trapped.
   • Fill the container about halfway with beer or milk.
   • Change fluid every few days. If the slugs are able to get out, then replace with a mixture of honey and yeast with a little water (the mixture must be boiled until it becomes gummy).
2. 2 Make a cornstarch trap. This cornstarch method is cheaper than the previous one, but it may be slightly less effective. Place one or two tablespoons of cornstarch in a jar and leave it where the slugs are most active. Keep the starch dry. The slugs will eat the starch, and swelling inside, it will kill them.
3. 3 Lure slugs with more humane traps. Slugs gather in shady, damp places such as under wooden planks, flower pots, or under cardboard boxes. Make a slug trap like this and check it daily. Collect slugs or snails that gather there and carry them away from your home or garden. Slugs are best attracted to food, for example:
   • Cabbage leaves
   • Citrus peels soaked in water
   • Dry pet food
4. 4 Protect traps from rain and pets. Water can ruin the liquid or cornstarch trap. Set up some kind of canopy to keep the trap out of the rain. If you have pets, they can eat the bait, so keep this in mind when choosing a container for bait - it must have a narrow enough neck so that only slugs can get inside.
5. 5 Go slug hunting at night. While this may probably not be the most fun activity, you can try catching slugs if there are not too many of them in your garden. Use a flashlight and disposable gloves. String the slugs on a stick and put them in a bucket of soapy water.If you have a headlamp - use it, it will free your hands, and it will be easier to hunt slugs.
   • Check from below on the leaves.
   • Track the entire trail if you notice.

Method 2 of 4: Preventing slugs

1. 1 Keep your garden dry. You may not see immediate results, but keeping your garden dry is the most effective way to deal with slugs. Here are some ways to make your garden less attractive to moisture-loving pests:
   • Water the plants in the morning to dry out the soil by night.
   • Install drip irrigation to minimize water use.
   • Weed and mow the grass regularly.
   • Remove organic mulch (grass clippings or straw).
   • Plant the plants far enough apart to maintain sufficient air flow.
2. 2 Make a mulch or infusion from certain plants. Some plants can scare off slugs well enough if you can find them at a garden store:
   • Oak or tobacco leaf mulch. It should be scattered around the plants as a barrier.
   • Wormwood infusion. Make an infusion of wormwood cuttings by soaking them in warm water for 24 hours. Strain and mix with soapy water, then spray over the soil or directly onto the slugs.
3. 3 Make a barrier with copper strips. Buy strips of copper foil wide enough to prevent slugs from crawling over. Use them as barricades around plants or garden beds.
   • Children can cut themselves on the copper strips.
4. 4 Sprinkle salt around the plants (but not on the soil!). Sprinkle salt on the surface where the slugs are crawling and they will go away. Please note that salt should be used with care as it negatively affects soil fertility. It is best to use salt for plant protection in porch pots - just sprinkle salt around the pot to create a natural slug barrier.
   • Do not use salt if it is likely to come into contact with water (for example, if rain is expected or if there is a faucet or hose nearby that is pouring water). Water can dissolve the salt and wash it off “safe” surfaces into the soil.
5. 5 Build barriers. Many gardeners who are not helped by different methods simply decide to build special slug barriers. Here are some of the best folk methods for creating such barriers, although they are unlikely to help keep absolutely all slugs:
   • Coffee grounds barriers can help keep slugs at bay.
   • Coarse sand can be a good barrier, but it won't keep them all.
   • Algae is not as effective as salt, but is probably safer for the soil. Calcified algae are the best solution, but they are difficult to find.
6. 6 Grow plants that protect against slugs. Some plants help repel slugs because they smell, taste, texture, or release certain toxins. Plant these plants around the perimeter of your garden or next to each plant for a natural barrier. They will not help protect plants 100%, but they will partially contain slugs. Try the following types of plants:
   • Herbs: ginger, garlic, onion, mint and chicory.
   • Vegetables: Bitter green vegetables tend to attract slugs less than sweet green vegetables. Try kale or broccoli.
   • Various varieties of hostas with blue leaves are more resistant to slugs.
   • Shade-loving flowers: astilba, dicenter, digitalis (non-perstina), lobelia, violets and some pansies, same buttercup and periwinkle.
   • Flowers for partial shade: phloxes, bells, day-lily, as well as mint.
7. 7 Try using more powerful (but more dangerous) barriers. Some substances are capable of killing slugs on contact.They can be effective barriers to slugs and snails, but they must be used with care and care must be taken to keep them dry. Using them incorrectly can harm the garden (as well as people and animals). Make sure these substances do not come into contact with the soil, unless otherwise stated:
   • Precautionary measures: Do not inhale or handle these substances with bare hands. Also, do not let children and pets come into contact with these substances.
   • Kieselguhr (diatomite). May be harmful to beneficial insects.
   • Wood ash. Raises soil pH, which can affect plants.
   • Slaked lime. Significantly increases the pH of the soil, which can make it unsuitable for many plants.
   • 1% caffeine spray. It is applied directly to plants that need to be protected and kills slugs that try to eat leaves or fruits. Can negatively affect many plants in unpredictable ways.

Method 3 of 4: Natural Predators

1. 1 Ground beetles. Ground beetles are natural predators for slugs. If possible, find or purchase ground beetle larvae and spread them around the garden in early spring. The larvae will grow and feed on their own, and in the summer they will turn into adult beetles ..
   • You can also find adult insects. Try not to let them escape and stay close to the plants you want to protect by placing some kind of stone, glass, or straw for them. Thanks to this, the beetle will be able to hide from predators. Ground beetles can live in almost any conditions where slugs live.
2. 2 Birds. The main predator for slugs are birds: ducks, chickens, robins, jays and others - they all love to feast on slugs. If you are not too squeamish, you can collect slugs every morning and give them to the birds - this will make the birds look for slugs in your garden for most of the day. You don't have to feed them for too long. You can also have chickens or ducklings if you have the opportunity - they will look for slugs in the garden and eat them.
   • Watch out for chickens and ducklings as they can eat healthy plants.
   • Do whatever you can to encourage wild birds to nest in your garden: build hedges for them, place feeders and water baths for birds to bathe.
3. 3 Bring the toads. Toads are very fond of slugs (as well as other garden pests) and eat them. If you want to attract wild toads to your garden, flip the pot or vessel next to a large rock or rock so that there is a dark place for the toads to hide. You can also buy wild toads and plant them in your garden to eat slugs. You can also make a small decorative pond in your garden for toads and frogs to live in.
   • Do not keep fish in the pond as they can eat tadpoles.
4. 4 Bring nematodes if necessary. Nematodes (roundworms) are microscopic parasitic worms that live in the soil and kill slugs. You may be able to find them and buy them at a garden store. Nematodes are extremely effective, but overall, this method is a double-edged sword. After the nematodes have killed all the slugs, they will leave the garden or die. If nematodes are not brought in regularly, every few weeks, then slugs can invade the garden again.
   • Follow all directions for introducing nematodes. They are usually spread over the soil and watered.

Method 4 of 4: Chemicals

1. 1 Spray ammonia on the slugs. You can easily make a mixture that will kill slugs: just mix 1 to 6 ammonia and water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray on the slugs if you see them. Be careful not to spray the plants as ammonia can burn the leaves.
2. 2 Use iron phosphate granules. These small slug-killing pellets can be purchased at any garden store.They need to be scattered around the garden - they attract slugs, but using them, slugs die within a week. This method is safe for most pets and edible plants, but it is still best to minimize the use of iron phosphate.
   • Iron phosphate granules can be sold under various commercial names (eg, "Sluggo", "Slug Magic" and "Escar-Go").
3. 3 Try metaldehyde. Metaldehyde is a common slug killer, however, it has some limitations. note that Metaldehyde can be toxic to pets (especially dogs). Therefore, it is important to properly handle this substance and set traps to keep pets safe.
   • Avoid pellet-shaped metaldehyde as it can be confused with food by animals, and choose pellet-shaped metaldehyde instead.
   • Store metaldehyde in a safe place for dogs.
   • Do not use metaldehyde near edible plants.
   • Do not scatter metaldehyde in heaps, as pets may confuse it with food.
   • Metaldehyde is most effective on warm, dry days and should be protected from direct sunlight. Place it under plant leaves in the evening on days when warm and dry weather is expected.
   • For the least environmental impact, purchase low-dose metaldehyde.

Tips

• It is best to catch slugs with your hands in the early evening or at night in humid, damp places, or in the early morning.

Warnings

• There is controversy over whether iron phosphate forms toxic compounds when used. According to some reports, it contains ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), which is an inert substance.
• Most slug traps advertised as safe contain toxins that kill most invertebrates, including earthworms.
• Slugs are molluscs, not insects, so regular insecticides will not work on them.