Different Methods For Dealing With Slugs

Different Methods For Dealing With Slugs

Slug

Do not be content with a single method of deterring slugs. Alan Titchmarsh told us years ago to ‘use several organic methods and reapply them regularly.’
Why settle for one remedy when you have a veritable arsenal of multiple methods for dealing with slugs.

Organic Slug Methods

  • Encourage more slug predators. Ground beetles are the thing and they love undisturbed clumps of Cocksfoot or Timothy grass. Frogs are also a useful predator to slugs
  • Read more about biological pest control methods with multiple nematodes to kill your slugs
  • There are now numerous packaged products to part you from your cash in return for parting you from your slugs.
  • Hoe the ground and bring the slug eggs to the surface for birds to eat.

Book Cover

Copper Based Slug Methods

  • Slugs dislike copper (unlike local metal thieves). You can use copper pipe hammered flat or lightening conductor.
  • Copper tape is sold for slugging it to slugs at most garden centers
  • Copper bands or collars can be very effective against slugs. Use them around your brassicas.
  • Copper tools like trowels are satisfying to use but may not do much to your slug population.
  • Slug and Snail Shocka is a large mat impregnated with copper.

Take extra care around slug favourites!

Chemical Slug Methods

  • If you want to know why you should slug your slugs with some form of chemical treatment look at my Hostas on this page.
  • For hard to find slugs and snails I still use a sprinkling of the old blue pellets.
  • Slug Pellets and Slug Exterminator at Amazon

slug
So Alan may be right a multi-punch mix and match approach may work. You can never do too much to deter slugs and snails from chomping your delicate plants.
If Frank Bruno was a gardener he would slug slugs with more than one punch at once.
However slugs were around before modern gardeners and you could adopt a policy of live and let live.

Credits
Slug by frankenstoen CC BY 2.0
slug by “Cowboy” Ben Alman CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Comments are closed.