5 Ways To Kill Slugs

Personally I prefer to deter slugs away from my young plants and accept a small amount a small amount a slug damage on more mature plants that can cope with it. I do however accept that sometimes it does become all out war with the slug and you just have to reduce the number of the bigger slugs.

So here is a list of ways to kill slugs.

1. Buy Hand.
Yes this one is not pretty and it is better to wear gloves.  Head out late evening as the night starts to cool and it is dark. Take a torch and a bucket of water. Any slug you spot just gently pick them up and put them in the but of water. Drowning is not a nice way to go but still it does get it done and does seem more humane then some of the others.


2.  Beer Trap.
Some would say this is a waste of beer and in reply I say buy cheap beer for those pesky slugs. The idea is you sink a small container, like say a large yoghurt pot and 3/4 fill it with beer. Cover with a piece of slate, rock or brick but prop it up slightly so the slugs have access.

The slugs are attracted to the smell of the beer. Drink there fill and fall in or just fall in trying to reach the beer and drown.

This is the classic way of killing slugs that is fairly humane in the sense they probably don't feel much. Another plus is it is easy to set up and does not need you to be sneaking around at night.

3. Nematodes
These are small ring worm that live in the ground and attack the slugs. They are safe to use around children and pets. The dead or dying slug and be eaten by a predator with any ill effect on the predator.

You do need to apply and application every 6 weeks or so and it does make it more expensive then the other ways of killing slugs. It is however a very easy way to control slugs and so well worth a try. Nematodes are often sold under brand name like Nemaslug.

4. Salt
Again this is one that many people know from their childhood. Let me say straight away it is not a good way to kill slugs.

First it is a pretty evil way to kill something. Slowly removing the water from an organism is not good. I remember seeing it done as a child and watching the poor slug twist and writhe in pain seem barbaric to me even as a child. There are better ways to kill slugs if you have to kill them

Salt is also not good for the ground or should I say for the plants you are attempting to grow in the ground. Only plants adapted to grow in salty conditions with thrive.

I really suggest not using this method.

5. Slug Pellets
Chemical weapons work well against most enemy but I am not really a fan. If I am going to spend money fighting slugs I would go for Nematodes even if it cost more. Pellets can be dangerous to children and pets.

Even if your garden never has pets or children in it you should consider that as a gardener you should work with  nature rather than using chemical to fight it. Try beer traps before going down this route.

5 Natural Slug Deterrents.

Here is a list of 5 natural slug deterrents. None will completely eliminate slug damage but hopefully it will make the majority of them decide to go somewhere else to eat.

1. Coffee grindings.

Caffeine is a pesticide so  it tends to poison little animals if used in high enough concentrations. Even people do not feel too good if they have lots of cups of coffee and the reason is caffeine is not good for you in large quantities.

If you sprinkle your used coffee grindings over you garden you will encourage slugs to stay away from that area. For anything but a couple of plants you are going to need plenty of coffee grindings. At least one coffee shop (Starbucks) regularly has a bags of used grindings in the shop that you can, for free, take home and put on your garden.

2. Chilli powder


If you put some hot dried chilli powder on you tongue it is not a pleasant experience. Sprinkle this lightly around the plants you want to protect and it does a really good job at keeping the slugs away. I regularly use this to protect small young plants that seem irresistible to those slugs.

Unfortunately, like coffee granules, if it rains it tends to wash away the the powder and you often need to reapply.

3. Crushed Egg Shell


Now I admit this is not one that I have tried. The idea is the sharp jaggy nature of the dry crushed shell is not something slugs like sliding over so they tend to go off somewhere else to find their food

4. Garlic
Garlic has been use for hundreds of years to deter slugs (Are slugs and vampires related?). You can plant garlic plants with the plant you want to protect to help deter the slugs.

Others take a slightly more proactive approach to using garlic. They blend up a couple of bulbs of garlic with a litre of water and spray it on the area they want to protect. Often they mix in chilli powder to give it a little bit of an extra kick or washing up liquid to keep the green fly away.

5. Copper Tape
I am not sure if this can be considered as natural, I suppose copper is a naturally occurring metal :)

You can buy copper tape in many DIY stores and it lets you create a protective perimeter around you plants. Make sure the take is at least 2 inches (50mm) thick to make sure the slugs do not want to cross over it.

Apparently copper has a drying out effect on the slugs as it causes the slugs to start producing more mucus. Slugs don't like this and get of the tape fast.

Because it only stops the slugs from crossing the barrier any slugs that are already inside the area are not effected so it does had limited application but works well with other forms of deterrents.

Conclusions
I am not a fan of putting down slug pellets and can accept some slug  damage on large plants as just a part of nature. If we killed all slugs, toad and hedgehogs would loose a tasty meal!
The critical period is when the plant is young and not able to recover from a large slug feasting on it. These deterrents really help the plant during that period.