I got a great question from a reader:
"Slugs are becoming quite a problem in my vegetable garden. How can I get rid of these pests? Are there any predators that can help with my slug problem?"
Have you tried setting beer traps for the slugs? This simply involves putting a saucer of beer on the ground. The slugs are attracted to the odor of the beer, crawl in for a drink, and drown. You'll probably have to do this several times, but it does work...sometimes. Another idea for "trapping" the slugs is to set half of an orange or grapefruit rind, round side up, in your garden and leave it overnight. The slugs will gather under the rind, and you can simply pick the whole thing up to dispose of several slugs at once. This can be a hit-or-miss method, but it may be worth a try.
Another method that works well is to lay a board in the garden bed where slugs have been a problem. Check under it regularly to see if any of the slugs have taken shelter there, then just squish them.
You can also try crushing up some eggshells and sprinkling them around any plants they are eating. The sharp edges bother their slimy undersides, and they will avoid that area.
Slug predators include birds and toads. I haven't been lucky enough to have any toads in my garden yet, but American robins are wonderful for taking smallish slugs out of my garden. I have a male robin who never fails to show up when I'm digging or weeding in my garden. I toss slugs and grubs his way when I come across them, and he gobbles them right up. I think we make a pretty good team!
Do you have any tips for dealing with slugs in your garden? Please share them with us in the comments!
Photo by Colleen Vanderlinden
Comments
If you’re growing in containers, copper tape or copper wire is supposed to be effective. Apparently when they crawl over it their slime produces an unpleasant electric shock. Just make sure no vegetation hangs over it to act as a bridge.
I also read somewhere on the internet that seaweed is a good repellent, as well as good for the soil. If you live near the sea or visit the sea I guess it’s worth while to pick some of the stinky stuff up!
I accidentally discovered that slugs will eat their own species. If you kill one, just leave it there, come back in an hour and there will be 10 more you can squish. Gross but true.
We’ve been having a terrible problem with Japanese Beetles in Minnesota for the past couple of years. In response, I treated my lawn and garden with milky spore in 2010. While I saw minimal results with respect to JBs (we live near a golf course, so apparently resistance is futile), slugs appear to be nearly completely erradicated. My hostas used to be full of holes, and I haven’t seen a trace of slugs in two seasons. I’m pretty sure it was the milky spore because I haven’t used any other treatments. Weird.
If your plants are in pots, put a ring of salt around the bottom. The salt will absorb the moisture in the slugs and kill them. Another thing I do is ,before I go to bed, I take a jar of water outside and collect all the slugs I see and drown them. The beer works well also.
I have been using slug shield with great success. It is an organic option and it lasts all season.
I crush bran flakes and sprinkle them around plants that slugs seem
to like. They overeat, bloat and die. See how to deal with other garden pests in my book, Dos and Don’ts for Growing and Preserving Organic Vegetables. Preview and purchase at Blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3098328.
One pretty cool way to capture slugs is: cut a card-board box into panels (the bigger size, the better) Leave it in a somewhat partially shady area over night, or for a couple days. Secure with a brick or stone on top if you think it may blow away. Turn it over (best during the sunniest time of the day, when they really need a place to hide). SALT! Ni-night now! After they are dead, I kick the top side of the cardboard, to remove their gross bodies, and repeat!
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