Slugs and snails have an enormous capacity to frustrate gardeners. Overnight they can destroy young seedlings and disfigure your favorite plants. There are numerous ways to stop slugs and snails. The most common is the ubiquitous slug granule; however, many gardeners are reluctant to use a poison that can harm wildlife and the environment. If you want to avoid chemicals, there are still many effective methods to control slugs, these are some of the most popular.
Beer traps.
If you save an old plastic container and then sink it into the ground, it can provide an excellent beer trap. Slugs aren’t picky, so feel free to use the cheapest beer. Also make sure it is easy for the slugs to slide into the container by keeping the edges close to ground level. In the morning, you will find the beer trap full of drunken slugs. When it’s full, just dig a whole and pour the contents; then replace it with fresh beer. I have used this method to great effect and it is completely environmentally friendly.
Eggshells around precious plants
Slugs require a smooth surface to move. If they encounter a barrier of sand and gravel, they will not be able to pass. Thus, you can protect your favorite plants and vegetables. This is an inexpensive way to protect a plant. However, it can be time consuming, unless you only have a small number of plants. Also, if the barrier is not extensive, it is possible that some slugs could pass.
Copper strips.
Similar to egg shells, gritty copper strips can be placed around the pots to prevent slugs from climbing into them. Metal strips can be purchased at local garden centers and, once in place, provide a permanent deterrent for slugs to enter.
Encourage the frogs
One of the best organic ways to decrease the slug population is to encourage their natural predators. One of the best slug eaters is the humble frog. If you create a natural pond to animate frogs and toads, you will find a natural ally in the fight against slugs. On a good night, frogs can cut through 10-20 slugs, so they can be very powerful.
Encourage the birds
Some birds, especially the blackbird, love to eat frogs. Encouraging birds to enter your yard with a bird table can help provide another predator to eat slugs. Unfortunately, in the UK, the decline of Song Thrush has been attributed to the use of slug pellets (birds are poisoned by slugs that have eaten pellets). This is another good reason not to use slug pellets.
Go hunting
If you go outside in wet conditions, especially at dawn or dusk, you may be able to find and kill a lot of slugs yourself. With a trowel you can easily cut them in half. To do your job, leave a lettuce leaf around and check under the stones.
If you follow these methods, you will find that the slug population drops dramatically; It can also be a lot of fun to encourage natural methods to combat slugs, rather than resorting to chemicals.
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