How do I get rid of slugs on my plants?

Answer 1

You can sprinkle diatomaceous earth around your plants, which is made of diatoms, the hard shells of tiny microogranisms. You can get this from many online nursery supply stores and some hardware stores.

This basically makes the slugs grind themselves up trying to cross it...

You can also always go with a less environmentally friendly chemical molluscicide (again easily available online or at a nursery/hardware store)

Answer 2

Recycle Window Screens As Slug Deterrent
Cut old metal window screens into 1x1 foot squares. Then cut a hole in the center of the square and put it on the ground around the plant. Slugs don't like to slither across window screens.

Sharp Edges Deter Slugs
You can crush up some seashells and spread them around your plants. The broken edges are very sharp and the slugs cannot crawl over them.

Copper And Nasturtiums
I have had some luck with edging planters with copper strips or wrapping with copper wire. Slugs will avoid it. Also, a border planted with a natural slug deterrent, such as nasturtiums, can be beautiful and beneficial.

Salt Around Plants, Not On Plants
Try putting crushed egg shells around your plants, and you can spinkle a little salt around the area. Don't put the salt on the plants, because it will kill them.

Prevention And Lure Techniques
Non Organic: Get pellets from any garden supply store, some may be poisonous to pets/children.

Organic: Barrier methods - sprinkle eggshells or diatomaceous earth around individual plants. The sharp edges deter/kill the slugs.

Lure And Kill Methods: Bury a small margarine container so the rim is level with the soil surface, put an inch of beer in the bottom. Slugs will be attracted by the beer and fall in and drown. Lay thick slabs, (10 - 20 pages), of wet newspaper out in the garden beds at night. In the morning when they've finished munching, they will withdraw to the dark dampness under the paper. Collect by hand or stamp on them in heavy boots, the added satisfaction of revenge! Put a bounty on their heads and send the neighbourhood kids out just after nightfall to collect them for cash.


Ammonia Slug Control

This is for slug control. I mix Sudsy Ammonia with water, half and half (they really won't crawl away from this mixture!), or a little more water and put it in a spray bottle. You can spray this solution right onto the flowers and plants and it doesn't hurt them. That way you get all the baby slugs that the mother has lovingly placed to feed on the tender parts! It works great! Happy slugging!

Answer 3

I have hostas growing in my garden and slugs used to like them a lot. I put chipped wood mulch around them and the slugs don't go near my hostas anymore. Apparently slugs won't travel over anything that's sharp or rough. Some people I know put crushed egg shells around plants that slugs like. I like these ways better than putting beer and such in dishes and then emptying the dead slugs. I'd much rather keep the slugs away than to have to look at their slimy bodies.

Answer 4

Galic spray is great for getting rid of slugs, cutworms, wireworms, & whiteflies:
Blend well 1garlic bulb & 1 onion add 1Tbsp cayenne pepper & 1 quart water. Steep ingredients for 1 hr, then strain & add 1 Tbsp dish soap and your non-toxic spray is ready to use.

When attacking the problem, remember that even "safest" organic pesticides should not be used in full sun or high temperatures because that's when they can burn or stress plants.

Spread coffee grounds around base of bush.
Coffee poured directly on slugs kills them. Use repellent mulches: Chile (cayenne )pepper,Wormwood, prostrate rosemary, basil, rue, acacia bark, and oak leaves are disliked by snails and make good repellent mulches. Wormwood is also effective as a spray. Use barriers with scratchy material, hydrated lime, wood ash, sharp sand, crushed egg shells, or diatamaceous earth.

Trap &/or kill slugs by placing boards on ground & scrape off snails when they gather on the underside, or place shallow containers sunk into the ground and filled with beer or other fermenting substances such as sour milk, or even a mixture of water and bakers yeast.

Answer 5

Dig a hole to fit a pie tin in your garden and pour cheap beer in it. The slugs are attracted to the yeast. fill it deep enough to drown them.

Put a toad in your garden.
I know someone who put a baby toad in the begonias. He lost it. The slugs vanished. At the end of the season he found the toad when he removed the begonias. It was the size of a softball.

Answer 6

Take some jar lids and fill them with beer and place them around the base of your plants. I know this sounds crazy but it works. The slugs will crawl in the lid and gorge themselves to death. Any brand will do!!

Answer 7

im not sure how safe this is for the plants but salt will definately get rid of the slugs.

Answer 8

Put a bowl with beer in it into a bowl-sized-hole in the dirt so the slugs can get in the bowl, but don't fill the bowl all the way to the rim so the little drunkards can't slime their way back out again. They will die happy!

Answer 9

put a plate of beer out in your yard---they will gather in it.

Answer 10

salt