How do I keep slugs from eating my hostas?

Question

If I use coffee or ammonia, do I mix it together or use sperately? Or do you have any other suggestion for this problem?

Answer 1

I have a better suggestion.

Take an aluminum pie tin (or two or three depending on the size of your garden). Sink them in the ground so the lip is at ground level. Fill them with beer.

In the morning they will be full of drowned snails and/or slugs. The little buggers are attracted to the smell, crawl in and drown. After a few nights they will be gone.

Answer 2

A Jerry Baker tip: use a little beer in a shallow dish with steep edges set to just below ground level. The slugs fall into the dish and can't escape. Empty as needed.

Answer 3

put a good layer of fine gravel all around the base of the plant, keep topping it up after rain ect, slugs hate going over it. you can also make a beer trap for them, cut large coke bottle at the base to form a dish, sink it into the soil close to the things they eat, fill it with beer an put a piece of cardboard over it to act like a lid. in the morning, empty the slugs away safely. repeat every night

Answer 4

The first answer about the beer is THE WAY TO GO. You really don't want to be putting amonia around your plants, do you? It's toxic!! The beer thing is amazingly effective. I would suggest no other way to get rid of those nasty creatures. If you use pesticides you're going to end up killing beneficial insects as well!!

Good luck!!

Answer 5

Hi, Gifted is quite right, as well as all the beer people.
Also, use diotonatious earth, it is spelled wrong I'm sure, but that is how it is pronounced.. You get it in a garden center and it is wildly successful! Sprinkle it around and they cannot cross it because they cut themselves to ribbons!

Answer 6

There is a slug repelent you can use just go to a nursery or garden supply store

Answer 7

i use malathion insect spray concentrate .. got it in Loews
7.68 makes 48 gallons i put 2 teaspoons and a teaspoon of orange oil to help it stick to the plant in a garden sprayer and spray my flowers ,veggies and grass
good for all kinds of bugs

Answer 8

you can buy a spray to kill the slugs..
you can spray it around the plant because it will prevent the slugs from coming back...

or try to check your plant everyday to remove the slugs..

Answer 9

You can fight them with bowls of beer, They get drunk and drown, sprinking salt on them ect but it only gets part of the problem. I finally wound up using a bug killer.

Answer 10

snail pellets are the easiest. just sprinkle around the plants. instant relief.