How do I kill slugs and snails?

Question

I don't like pelates as they seem to suffer and could harm other wild life if they eat the bodies.

Answer 1

If you find an aswer let me know.

I must of collected millions of the little sods.

I've sealed them in tins for the refuse people to collect, dug deep holes and buried them alive.

Pellets don't work, snails seem to thrive on them.

As previous writers have said, beer seems to attract them, maybe you can design a trap with beer as the bait, you may make a fortune, or die from an attack co-ordinated by super-snail.

Answer 2

If you have a garden bed you sprinkle salt and egg shells around the perimeter of the garden (youcan get some cheap rock salt from most supermarkets) The best defence against them though is to make sure your plants are nice and healthy, by using good compost and manure for nutrients, and remove dense shrubs from the sorrounding area (thats where they hide during the day). If you go out at night say 12 or so just pick them off and squish them it will take a week but you will notice a difference. Bad unhealthy plants attract bugs

Answer 3

my personal favourite is melting them with salt.... bujt this can change the acidity of the soil and some plants die (personal experience with a very expensive tropical plant!) Its also only good for small areas or individual pests.

but you can make great beer traps: sink a plastic tub into the soil, fill with beer and top with porridge oats.. they try to climb onto the oats and sink. you do have to empty these out from time to time though

you can protect more fragile plants by putting sand or sand paper around the base, they hate that. this also works with pet hair,tumble dryer lint, crushed eggshells and nut shells

and of course.. pellets. Sprinkle liberally every where there is soil, the lightle blighters can live underground as eggs for many years so can pop up any where and any time. these can work for several weeks and dont need you to do anything else in between treatments

there are loads more hints on this site...
http://perfectperennials.tripod.com/id7.html

Answer 4

Before you start the killing fields, there are a few other options to consider. Firstly, did you know you can eat garden snails?

Secondly, try to encourage predators, frogs/toads and hedgehogs can eat hundreds each night. Some birds eat snails too.

If you must kill them, drown them in beer as this is by far the most humane way as they are so intoxicated they are oblivious to their impending deaths.

Another thing to remember is that black slugs only eat dead wood whereas, orange or brown slugs only eat living shoots and leaves!

"If it's Black, put it back. If it's Brown, let if drown"!

Answer 5

Well... putting salt down makes them fizzle up like the wicked witch...but that harms other creatures in the garden...we did that to the huge ones that somehow got into my mothers kitchen and were gorging themselves on the cat food (YUK, I never thought about how they would eat MEAT!!!) but they hate coffee grounds so you can sprinkle a line of defense down around plants etc...and down your sink.....also the old beer in a saucer trick does work... good luck!!

Answer 6

however you'll kill them, they'll suffer- you think that the salt won't make them suffer orbeing preyed as supper won't make them suffer! Use the pelates or salt or go on having the nast things crawl everywhere!

Answer 7

Salt

Answer 8

Salt sprinkled on the ground will kill the slugs, and any snails climbing walls should be spotted by birds.

Answer 9

Encourage a hedgehog to take up residence in your garden - they love 'em. Otherwise the beer trap (you can also use vinegar) or there are commercial killers - I have a container that states it is "safe for use near children pets and birds" - it is "100% aluminium sulphate granules".

Answer 10

Put beer in a container, dig it in below the soil surface,they will go for it and drown there. Also if you put sawdust around the plants you want to protect, they dont like travelling over it and wont.