Any ideas how to stop slugs and snails eating plants? Humanely though please?

Question

Salt will wash away, do not want to use pesticides (children and pets and trying to be organic) just need to keep them away not harm them!

Answer 1

One way is to use pie plates filled with beer or other fermented beverage--the slugs are attracted to the smell, climb into the pie plate, and drown. Or you can try eggshells. They work excellent and they're good for the soil! You need to make a four inch border around the edge of your garden or around the base of your tree. Snails won't cross over, its too pointy, it hurts, and the broken shells get stuck to the snails preventing them from getting any where. They need to be crushed up (not too fine, about eighth inch pieces) you can do this fairly quickly and easy with your hands (wear gloves, they are pointy).

Answer 2

Neitther slugs or snails like sand so put a ring of sand around those precious plants. Try orange peel or bury a container in the ground so the top of the container is level with the earth. Then 3/4 fill the container with beer... this works very effectively.

Answer 3

Paris by a day so hot that we all stay inside.

Your question is so near our worries.


The biocides used to protect against slugs kill cats in a very painful way.

So, here many use either ashes or saw powder around the plants.

It is not obvious where one can get either of these products.

I have not tried it myself, but there is a claim that Italian like coffee shops would gladly give you the coffee slug (is it called slug?) and you can use it around your plants. And if you are broke you can still use it to make coffee.

However thank you for your question and your concern about a safe way to protect plants and my cats.

Incidentally, you do know that through your tax payments our are funding International Agencies who have the duty to provide you with a reply to your questions about most problems. The coordinating Group is called the CGIAR or CIGAR,sorry my brain is a bit fried by old age. (google it)

While the UD Department of Agriculture is not an International Agency, it is a extremely Human and a very competent Agency that will always give a very sensible answer to any of your querries.

ns

It may seem strange to most of us but even Businesses whose job it is to sell us biocides will reply to such a question and give a very balanced answer, not even trying to push their own products.

My first recommendation is the US Department of Agriculture, it is difficult to be better than they are

ns

Answer 4

The best way to keep them away without harming them is to collect all your empty egg shells, wash them, dry them in a slow oven, crush them then sprinkle around your plants, slugs and snails will not slither over them.

Answer 5

Cut an orange or grapefruit in half, put these flat side down at intervals around your garden- especially near plants you don't want eaten.

Check each day and you'll find lots of slugs snail in them, you can them empty them somewhere more slug friendly, the compost heap!

Answer 6

Ive took beer of any kind and poured around the plants that works well.If your plants are fenced off I suggest Seven granules.You take the Seven and pour all through the garden and around the bottoms of the plants that works well.Then when all plants are done for the year take a bag of Seven and spread the entire garden with it then next year no bugs,worms or diseases will appear.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

You can buy copper tape in B&Q- they don't like to crawl over copper because it gives them an electric shock! so if you put that round your plants they'll keep away, also the copper won't wash away or need replacing regularly. Have a look at the greengardener website.

Answer 9

2 things I have used that work great are.....
-for plants in gardens place used coffee grounds around them. (I get mine from the Tim HOrton's, but any coffee place will usually save them for you instead of throwing them out) the snails can't get across the coffee grounds. Make sure you have at least a 6 inch radius around your plants. Us it like mulch.
-for plant in raised beds and pots place pieces of copper strips all around the container or bed. Again snails can't cross this.

Answer 10

If you put grit aroung the bottom of the plant, the snail can't crawl on it so they can't get to the plant. I have done it around Hostas (snails favourite plant to munch apparently) and there is no damage to them at all.
Any sort of grit will do as long as it is in small enough bits to be sharp if you are that small.