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How can I get rid of slugs and snails without pellets?
By admin | April 5, 2010
I’ve got loads of brown snails and slugs in my container garden destroying everything! What’s the best way to get rid of them without using pellets (I don’t want to use them because I’ve got a dog).
I’ve heard of using beer traps, is it just lager you put out for them?
Topics: Container Gardening | 25 Comments »
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
i had this problem but i did not want to use the usual pellets as i have a family of hedgehogs living in and around my garden, i thought they would have kept theslugs in check but they didnt,
the garden centre handed me an information leaflet and order form for a natural predator, it is called NEMA-SLUG this is a natural predator.
i ordered a packet of this and all i had to do was mix the contents of a sachet in a watering can and spray it very finely over the affected area, six weeks later i barely see a slug in the garden and the haedgehogs are thriving nicely too.
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
You can buy copper tape that you lay round the garden as a boundary, or tie round pots, etc. They will not cross the tape! Excellent stuff! I also found the website below which may help!
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
crushed eggshells – the crawlies dont like sharp edges
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Machine Gun ?
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
My cousin used beer and it was absolutely disgusting as she had traps full of slugs that had dissolved or something. I heard human hair cuttings are good as they are spiky and coarse gravel round your plants too.
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Beer traps do work, but it needs to be beer not lager (I’ve never tried lager tho, maybe it would work?) It works best if you use a low sided tray, they must be attracted to the smell? Anyway next day you will have a tray full of slugs and snails who died happy!! And at least they don’t live to experience the hangover!
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Snails don’t like salt or lime They also don’t like sand
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
egg shells or salt around the plants because snails dont like sliding over anything rough, sawdust also works. hope that helps
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
you could try salt
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Sprinkle salt on them.
Diatomacious Earth
You can get pellets made with iron phosphate that are non-toxic to animals. I use them and highly recommend ,
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Slugs and Snails?
These creatures have their task in life, too, contributing to keep the earth functioning and livable.
However, we do not want them to eat our garden. I have read that putting sand or chalk powder around the entire garden will keep them out.
Obviously, this has to be releated after wind and rain, but I think it is worth a try, since any toxic means would also affect your garden harvest, seen or unseen.
Happy harvest.
Cordially, India.Magica
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Salt and slug-beer traps—-none of these unless you’ve got the stomach to watch them MELT into your garden. SOOO-
use WHITE LIME–sprinkle over veggies late in the evening-(they crawl at nite when the ground is moist). Keep lime on it……
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Beer; they crawl in it and die.
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Lager does work but as everyone has pointed out, it’s pretty disgusting having to empty the containers full of dead, slimy slugs! I tried egg shells and though it didn’t help me, it’s worth a try.
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Salt is useful, salt works by taking the moisture out of the slugs and therefore they die of dehydration. Cruel but it works.
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
They don’t like crawling over rough surfaces so surrounding the area you want to protect with strips of sand paper can help keep them out.
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
My dad used the beer trick. Place a saucer into the ground so that the sides are level with the surrounding soil (makes it easy for the slug to crawl in), then fill with beer. Empty daily, or it starts to stink.
I had a friend who would place overturned flowerpots around in his flowerbeds, then in the evening would go out and "pick" the accumulated slugs and drop them in a container of soapy water. This doesn’t kill all of them, but it does cut down on the population considerably if you are consistent with it.
He also would shake Japanese Beetles off his flowers into a container of soapy water. I’ve done this for years at my house, and the Japanese Beetle population is now almost nil. Of course, I live in a protected area away from other people with plants, or I’m sure I wouldn’t have been so successful at this.
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Most pellets won’t harm pets, just dry up the sluggy wuggies. They won’t cross over copper either – try it.
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
salt its always worked for me
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
I put a bowl of cat food out for a hedgehog in our garden, (after our dogs had been let out for the last time at night) it attracted the slugs and snails like wildfire. Then the hedgehog ate them along with the food.
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Slugs and snails cannot crawl over gravel – give consideration to creating scree around the base of your more valuable plants.
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Salt or a powder sold at the store, it will not harm the animals
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
put a sauser of beer out in your border the slugs love the smell they will go into it and die very meryy
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Spread salt around the bases as salt makes slugs disentegrate, or small jars of beer so they slither inside and die, happily imight add.
April 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
salt does the trick.