Last updated on April 25th, 2022
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Slugs can have a devastating effect on your garden, however, you will be pleased to hear that there are ways you can stop them from infesting your plants and your garden. You can choose between natural, organic measures that safely get rid of the slugs or at least get rid of them without the use of pesticides, or you can opt for commercial products. Commercial products can be organic or non-organic depending on what you are growing.
If you are growing food such as fruit and vegetables that you plan to eat, a natural, organic way to stop slugs from infesting your garden is best. However, it is always recommended that you wash any fruit or vegetables you take from your garden whether or not you use some sort of slug control method. If you have children or pets who regularly run through your garden, perhaps nibble on the plants, you will also want to consider an organic or at least pesticide-free way to control your slug problem.
Below are some of the top ways to stop slugs from infesting your garden, with measures that are safe for produce, children and pets.
Introduced nematodes and attract wildlife including hedgehogs into your garden
One of the easiest ways to get rid of slugs is to introduce natural predators. Slugs have many predators that you can add to your garden. If possible you can attract hedgehogs into your garden who will run about your garden and eat the slugs, the same as ducks or some chickens.
Of course, not everyone is able to do this because gardens are often fenced off, in which case alternative measures can be employed, like introducing nematodes into the soil who will then eat away the slugs as they make their way across your garden. For this method, you don’t actually need to handle the nematodes. For example, you can purchase packets of nematodes that you water into the soil and they eventually grow to be full size.
- Control slugs NATURALLY by applying Nemaslug Slug Killer, which contains natural nematodes (Phasmarhabditis Californica), that are effective at controlling slugs, but unlike chemical controls, are safe for children, pets, birds and wildlife.
- The nematodes in Nemaslug are found naturally in UK soil and have been approved for use in organic gardening by the Soil Association.
- Nemaslug works at temps above 5c/40f, so apply UNDERGLASS all year round OR apply OUTDOORS during the growing season.
- Nemaslug is a perishable product (it will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge), so order when you are ready to apply.
- Each application of Nemaslug controls slugs for 6 weeks, so for a slug free garden, re-apply each 6 weeks. This Nemaslug Large Pack treats up to 100sqm.
Check out our guide on how to introduce hedgehogs into your garden by clicking here
Use beer traps to catch slugs
Setting traps is a great way to prevent slugs from infesting your garden. These traps are items you can place around the perimeter of the plants you want to protect. There are many versions of these traps and one of the most common is called a beer trap.
This is where you take a small, flat container that has a short rim and fill it with beer. Most of the time these are dug into the ground by a few centimetres so that they lower the slugs into the trap and then they can’t get back out of it. The slugs are actually drawn to the fermentation in the beer and things like Guinness or ale will work best. These can be put around the edges or corners of your garden so that the slugs come upon them first and make their way into the trap rather than into your garden.
There are commercial traps that function very similarly and you will need to remove and replace them from time to time once they fill up with slugs.
Provide a space for them to hide by laying cardboard and picking them off in the afternoon
One way to get rid of slugs is to provide a space for them to hide, creating a dark shelter using a piece of cardboard, or alternatively using a stick. Slugs will naturally make their way to this hiding place, especially to avoid the heat of the afternoon sun. Unfortunately with this method, you will need to go out in the afternoon once most of the slugs have made their way into the new home, remove them by hand and discard them or kill them.
On that note make sure that you remove anything in your garden that is already serving as a home for slugs where you don’t want it. This can include things like bricks or stones, fallen branches, or leaves where they might hide. This type of regular maintenance will go a long way towards making sure they go where you want them and stay away from your garden.
Form barricades using natural products such as eggshells and wool
Barricades are a wonderful way to protect your garden. You can make a perimeter around the plants you want to protect with multiple products. Organic, natural versions are best done with things like eggshells. After you have made your breakfast, rinse out the eggshells and remove the membrane from the inside of the shell (if any is left), then crush and leave them in the form of a barricade around your garden plants. The eggshells will cut the soft underbelly of the slugs so they hopefully won’t cross it.
You will need to replace these on a regular basis, but what a wonderful way to make use of your breakfast waste. Make sure to replace them every few weeks or after it rains because they will lose their effectiveness. Other natural materials to deter slugs include pine needles, unwanted foliage that have thorns, or even sharp sand and grit. Just make sure that whatever you use doesn’t compromise the quality of the soil in your garden.
Similarly, there are commercial products that do much the same thing. Special wool products (such as Slug Gone) are made using British wool and formed into the shape of pellets. These can be laid around the base of your plants in a flat even layer and then watered. The pellets will get larger in size and create a protective layer that the slugs won’t cross.
- Slug Gone' wool pellets are ideal for organic gardening
- Not only do the pellets keep Slugs and Snails at bay, the pellets are also a good mix and balance for growing plants.
- Wool fibres are very hygroscopic
Use plants that have proven to deter slugs
You can grow plants that act as a natural pesticide and deter slugs. Things like Astrantia give off a very strong scent and are thought to repel slugs. If you put these along your border or perimeter, in between the plants you want to protect, they will go a long way towards protecting your garden from slugs. Other plants that you can grow include fennel, rue, Anise, Rosemary, and wormwood.
Make it slippery using WD-40
Slugs cannot stick to slippery surfaces, so if you create a surface that is very slick around the perimeter of your plants or your garden beds, they won’t be able to climb them. Spraying things like WD-40 onto the outside of your containers or potted plants will make it too slippery for any slugs.
- The WD-40 Multi-Use Product Smart Straw is an all-in-one solution for protecting and maintaining your items
- It offers rust prevention, lubrication and corrosion control, and is safe to use on most materials
- The Smart Straw allows for precision application with two-way spray action – simply flip the straw up for a precision stream or down for a regular spray
- Its water-resistant formula helps protect against rust and corrosion, and it can also help loosen stuck parts
- Contains 300ml of product, so you can use it on multiple projects and items
Copper is known to give slugs a shock
On the note of barriers, copper works well to repel slugs because every time their slime comes into contact with it they get a tiny electrical shock. Therefore you can use things like pennies or copper tape to make a perimeter. Tape down and fasten your preferred material so that it remains in place. It might also be beneficial to bury it ever-so-slightly so the slugs don’t just crawl underneath. There is a special self-adhesive copper tape that you can buy and this can be attached to raised garden beds, greenhouses, or potted plants as well.
![Copper Tape Conductive Adhesive [1 Inch x 66ft] Copper Foil Tape for Guitar and EMI Shielding Barrier, Soldering, Jewelry, Circuits, PCB Pad Repair, Electronics - Stained Glass Metal Tape 1 Inch](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41YcTO625zL._SL160_.jpg)
- SAVE YOUR GARDEN FROM SLUGS AND SNAILS - Say goodbye to nasty chemicals with our pet safe tape. Simply form a ring around vulnerable plants and our copper tapes natural electrical charge will stop slugs and snails eating your produce. Stick almost anywhere with our extra strong adhesive, it works whatever the weather.
- SAY GOODBYE TO EMI AND RFI - Quickly protect your devices from electromagnetic and radio-frequency interference. From buzzing guitars to computer cables, Kraftex copper tape offers a quick and simple solution. The adhesive is strong, flexible and highly conductive, making it easy to protect your electronics.
- BRING YOUR CRAFT IDEAS TO LIFE - Bring some new color and textures into one of your craft projects. Easy to shape and mould with a strong adhesive it sticks to almost any clean surface. With its fantastic pure copper color this truly versatile tape will bring your imagination to life.
- ONLY THE BEST QUALITY - Pure copper foil, low resistance adhesive and an easy peel waxed paper backing makes our tape the best on the market. We are so confident that our laboratory tested product will arrive in perfect condition and solve your problems that we give you a FULL REFUND if it doesn’t. Click "Add to Cart" now to buy with confidence.
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- KEEPS MICE AND RATS OUT: Protect your home and garden from mice, rats and other rodents by filling any cracks, crevices and gaps around your house with our rodent mesh and mice deterrent. Our rat mesh is chew-proof and can be used on its own or combined with foam to fill larger gaps
- REPELS SNAILS AND SLUGS: An excellent outdoor and indoor slug repellent, our copper mesh helps protect your vegetable beds, plant pots, and herb gardens by redirecting snails and slugs. Copper mesh is a natural snail and slug repellent and an effective alternative to poison
- RUST-RESISTANT: Our rodent mesh roll is particularly easy to stretch, shape, and cut; rolled for easy storage. Get started with nothing more than a pair of scissors! Unlike iron and steel, copper makes a durable garden rodent control as its corrosion resistance means it will not rust
- ECO-FRIENDLY: Copper wool doesn’t introduce harmful chemicals and poisons into your home and garden. It is also recyclable. Copper mesh for pest control is a humane alternative to lethal slug traps, mouse control, glue traps, pigeon spikes and poisons
- MULTIFUNCTIONAL - As a safe and clean material, copper makes an excellent scouring pad for cleaning those stubborn pans and pots! Copper mesh can also be used for arts and crafts or as a wire sculpting material
Most people think that they can sprinkle salt on slugs to get rid of them quickly, however, while it does kill them, it will also hurt the soil. Too much salt in your soil will literally salt the earth and make it impossible to grow your favourite flowers and plants. Because of this, it is best that you use one of the methods mentioned above so that you can safely and creatively get rid of your slug problem without using something that’s going to damage your plants. Don’t be afraid to mix and match. You can use more than one method to increase the potential results.
Last update on 2024-04-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
