My back garden war on slugs
Picture the scene: it’s the end of April, early May and the risk of frost has FINALLY passed. At last, you can venture out to the garden to get to work. You’ve gone outside and planted the young lettuce and tomato plants that you’ve lovingly grown from seed over the past few months (ours got started in Jan/Feb – since I got a grow light for my January birthday). With those lovely bright green leaves on display, you’re so satisfied and happy with the work you’ve done and cannot wait to see your babies grow into full heads of lettuce, and plump, juicy tomatoes, that you can pick and add to your delicious salad in a few weeks’ time. You go back indoors, watch TV, have a sleep, and go out the next morning to water them… WHERE ARE THEY?????
Sadly, the answer to your question lies in the slimy trails on the soil surface and on the denuded stems of your plants. You’ve had a visit from your slimy, and not so friendly, neighbourhood slugs and snails who have already scuppered back to their daytime hiding places, sleeping off the delicious feast you left for them.
Argh! All those weeks of care and love, wasted.
(Jasmine Travis Frankland)
After a few brief moments of mourning, you pluck yourself up and remember it’s early yet; you can still grow more. Look at this as a learning exercise; that’s what gardening is after all. You’ll learn from your lack of, or poor-quality slug-proofing next time. I’ve made this mistake more than once, despite the pesky creatures turning up EVERYWHERE! (Last week we arrived home from my parent’s house around midnight to find a snail crawling precariously on the handle of our front door – it was all Sandy could do not to scream with disgusted surprise as she went to unlock the door. Yuck!!)
Innovations in weaponry
So, what’s to be done about these pesky creatures, and can we stop them? There are many articles online espousing to be fool-proof miracle cures that work wonders. But too many of these are old wives’ tales. Or expensive fads that don’t solve anything. Or worse, cause more harm than good. But of course, we all know that all the information on the internet is 100% trustworthy; right? What are some of these supposed fail-proof options? The question I hear you asking is “Do you use these in your garden, Phil, and if not, why not?” Read on to find out!
Crushed eggshells
- Put crushed eggshells on the top of the soil, because slugs crawl on their bellies and the shells are too abrasive for them to crawl over.
This is an interesting one. It does sound like it would be a good resolution; the slug equivalent of stepping on a Lego brick bare-footed. But, if you don’t wash out all the membrane from the eggshell properly, there’s more chance you’ll attract slugs, as they love the stuff. While some people say eggshells work, you’ll find some very determined pests will still get through. Have a look at this website for more insight.
While Sandy always crushes up our eggshells to put in the compost, we don’t wash and dry them out to make them worth trying to sprinkle around our plants, and to be honest, we don’t use enough eggs to get a good enough layer around even our tiny garden.
Beer traps
- Set out beer traps, non-alcoholic work best. The slugs will be attracted to the beer and drown. I’m not making this up.
Beer traps sounds like the strangest thing, and they are. Picture this. You have a 6ft x 3ft raised bed. How much beer are you going to need? A small bowl isn’t going to attract them all from one side of the bed to the other. Even if you put a few out and create a slug ‘pub crawl’ of sorts, you can’t guarantee a hit every time. You’d literally need to create a moat. Maybe a politician could help you with funding one if you claim the raised bed as part of a second home? The other issue is that it is washed away if it rains and that, of course, is the time you’ll find is when slugs and snails come out in droves.
We did try this once, years ago, sinking old tin cans into our raised beds and using the least expensive beer we could find from Lidl. No slugs were harmed with that endeavour, unfortunately.
Copper foil tape
- Put copper foil tape around pots and raised beds as slugs get a shock from the copper and turn back.
Slugs can go over copper. They might not have a fun time doing so — though I’ve never actually asked one, but the lovely salad leaves are just too tempting to stop them making the perilous journey. Yes, it failed on my pots.
Electric fence
- An electric fence. Really? This consists of 2 wires wrapped closely together around a raised bed, connected to a 9V battery. When the slug makes contact with 2 wires at the same time, it gets a shock and turns back.
An electric fence? Do I really need to comment? Not to mention the shock that you and your pets might accidentally get, and the need for the battery to be in a water-proof container, what a faff to get the wires close enough together, all the way around the bed or plants, so that the slug will touch both at the same time.
Wood chips/shavings
- Put wood chip / wood shavings down as it is too abrasive to the snail’s belly.
Wood chip and wood shavings get damp, and dampness will mean it is no longer abrasive. Dampness is one of the slugs’ best friends. They may even shelter under there.
Slug pellets
- Scatter slug pellets around the plants and they eat them, digest the poison, and die.
Slug pellets are hit and miss as to whether the slugs will go for them. Additionally, a high percentage are toxic to birds and animals, not to mention when they dissolve into the ground they get absorbed by your plants. I discourage you from using them, but no judgement. If you go for this option, for the sake of your pets, the local wildlife and your children, please be very careful and read all the labels and instructions.
Damp wood board “trap”
- Put a board of wood in a damp area, so that the slugs will hide under it at night, and when you go out in the morning you lift it up and kill the slugs there and then.
Even if this does work, you’re treating them like they’re on death row, and letting the slugs have a final meal of your tender greens before they are finally dispatched.
Chemical and pesticide sprays
- Spray chemicals and pesticides to poison them.
You don’t have to look far to find news about the effects of pesticides in farming. Like slug pellets, they’re just not a good idea. Just imagine that stuff getting onto your food and into your (or your children’s) digestive tracts. So much for yummy, nutritious veg! Products that use the common chemical, metaldehyde, have recently been withdrawn from sale by the UK government, but you may potentially still find it in a privately owned shop or in the back of a shed; the ban didn’t get a lot of press, and common brands are still operating, albeit with different chemicals – who knows what nasties these new chemicals will unleash on the environment.
My multi-faceted war strategy — How I get rid of slugs
If you can’t beat ‘em, learn to live with them. There is no full-proof way to get rid of slugs— or snails for that matter, but here are solutions that I’m using in my garden lately:
Salt
Salt is the nuclear option for waging war on your slug population. It is not pretty. It is not humane. And there could be some unintended consequences if not done right. But it will destroy the slugs, on contact.
Unfortunately, salt isn’t ideal when it comes to interacting with your plants, though. If any salt gets into the soil it will soak up the moisture it encounters and effectively create drought conditions. Taking the much-needed moisture away from your plant and burning them, as well as harming the beneficials (like earthworms) built-up in your beds. And if you think the feeling of a slug demolishing your plants is bad, it is nothing compared to mourning your plants’ dying due to something you did trying to protect them.
If you have a raised bed, or use pots, you might consider putting a ring of salt around them— like the protective salt circles you see in horror films. Slugs won’t cross that line since it will dehydrate them. Immediately. Just be aware; if it rains, the salt will wash it away and you’ll have to re-apply. Fortunately, table salt is inexpensive, and it is to slugs, what kryptonite is to Superman.
Table salt is inexpensive, and it is to slugs, what kryptonite is to Superman.
Phil Parker
Slug Gone
Personally, along with night-hunting the slugs and transferring them for a quick and painful death in a container of salt during wet spring nights, I also use something called Slug Gone. This stuff is a bucket-full of compressed sheep wool/manure pellets. It smells like wool and manure, but it’s worth it. You lay the pellets around the plant and water them in. This causes the pellets to expand and effectively create a wall of abrasive particles around the plant.
Slug Gone is a biodegradable product and is made of protein fibre. It releases nitrogen, potassium, and other elements into your soil, which also aid in plant growth and water retention. It typically biodegrades within 6-12 months. I won’t lie, it’s not a silver-bullet, 100% remedy; but I have found that over the last few years, the number of slug attacks in my garden beds have significantly decreased. Unfortunately, I’m not being paid to recommend this product! I have found that it works so I’m keen to share it as a good weapon in your war on slugs and snails.
Watering tips
Water plants well in the morning so that by the time the evening comes, the surface will be dry with the moisture underneath. This will make the path to your plants less attractive to the slimy things. Make sure to water the compost, though, rather than from above as the hot sun against the wet leaves and fruit may affect the plant.
Companion / sacrificial planting
This year I have also been companion and sacrificial planting. This is where you plant something that you don’t mind losing because it works for the greater good. If, for example you are having an issue with blackfly, you can plant nasturtiums. The blackfly will infest these, instead of your main crop. You don’t mind losing a quick-growing and easily replaceable plant from seed, to protect something you’re keen to nurture to maturity.
I’m using marigolds quite successfully this year to keep slugs off my tomatoes. The marigold works like a magnet to slugs. These are a few of mine. You can hardly notice the slug damage overall, but it is there if you look closely.
The great thing about marigolds is that growing from seed is surprisingly simple and much cheaper than purchasing high-priced, ready-grown plant starts at your local garden centre. I use a seedling planter tray with 40 modules and put 2 seeds in each before eventually thinning out. As with most seeds you probably won’t get a 100% germination rate. I usually get about 70%, however that’s a lot of marigolds for a couple of raised beds and pots. Time the growth by the directions on the seed packet and when they’re at a flowering stage plant out around your tomatoes. Be aware: if you plant them out before they’re ready to flower, they’ll be powerless against the slugs and will be demolished within 24 hours.
Make sure to do successional marigold plantings fortnightly as slugs will eventually finish a marigold and this approach will give you plenty to use for quick replacements. Hopefully by the time you’re using your second sowing, you should have some flowering, so you’ll even get to enjoy pretty flowers. Mine made it through multiple attacks. The one pictured is in process of being saved. Just remember that they need to be deadheaded and eventually the plants will get larger with many more flowers.
Baseball practice
It is not worth using your garden foe for pitching or sling-shot practice over the garden fence. If you think you’re sneakily disposing of a snail, slug, or caterpillar into a nearby garden, the offender may return, unless you’re lucky enough for a bird, frog, or hedgehog to find it first. They seem to have great homing instincts so not only is it a false economy for getting rid of them from your garden, it will almost certainly result in obtaining a bad relationship with your neighbour if they see you do it.
And, since you’re unlikely to see many birds in the late hours when the slugs come out to eat, and frogs and hedgehogs have been in such a decline in numbers in recent years. It’s not a very good approach (even if you feel a sense of power by hurling them flying). I must admit; when we found that snail on the door handle a few weeks ago, I did resort to a drop kick into the communal square in front of our house. I had my hands full and didn’t want to track it into the house by simply crushing under foot.
Hunt and pick
As slugs generally come out at night, go out with a torch, and check on top of, around and even under your marigold leaves and you’re bound to find some slugs nibbling away. Pick them off and dispose of them in your own chosen way. I like my neighbours far too much to be throwing slugs over the fence, so instead I go out with a head torch, 2 trowels and a bucket, to hunt for slugs and snails like Elmer Fudd hunting “Wabbits”.
As the slugs generally come out in mass on rainy nights, or after a rainy day, those evenings are the best times to go out. You can check in the day by looking under leaves, pots, trays, grow bags, bricks, and rocks, but slugs hide during the day since they are effectively slimy versions of Dracula. They will bite their prey by night and then hide and sleep lest they burn (dry out) in the sun.
I must tell you now, in the strongest way possible, that you should NEVER! use bare fingers or fabric/leather garden gloves to pick slugs up; the slime, or mucus just won’t easily come off. Also, it’s pretty darn gross. Use trowels or maybe some old tongs— but not the family barbecue ones.
Another good thing to do is to find the slug eggs. Simply use a hoe, or something similar, to get into the soil and look for what will be clumps of tiny white balls or a jelly-like substance and dispose of them. Slug eggs can take 2-5 months to hatch, so if you will be starting to grow after the last frost, make sure you do this egg search at the end of winter, you’re bound to find some.
Finally, there will be some slugs that you won’t necessarily see, such as those that want to eat your potatoes! If you’re having issues with potato damage, or you want to avoid it up front, you can grow less susceptible varieties, such as Charlotte, or Maris Piper.
Exterminate, exterminate!
As the Dalek’s say in Dr Who, exterminate your garden enemy! Picking up slimy vermin with gloves and the trowels and plopping them into a bucket, I then use the nuclear option, as described earlier in this article, to destroy my “prisoners”. Yes, it is cruel, but needs must.
The RHS advises that you could otherwise put them in a zip-lock seal bag and freeze them before throwing into the bin or compost heap, but we only have our food freezers. I don’t like to think about slugs and snails near our garden produce, let alone being anywhere near our preserved food. And I’m 100% certain that Sandy would have some choice words for me if she found out I was doing this.
My solution is undoubtedly painful, but it’s fast… I can’t imagine that suffocating and freezing to death is any less painful, but it’s definitely slower, and therefore, less humane, in my opinion.
Disposing of the “casualties of war”
It’s important to note that slugs can be toxic to dogs and cats if digested as they can pass on lungworm. So just like the mafia, if you kill them, make sure that you dispose of the evidence without anyone seeing where they’ve been dumped, lest they be dug up. I empty them out into our outdoor waste bin so they’re secure from animals until collection day.
Gardeners’ allies in the war on slugs
Depending on your garden, you may be able to enlist the help of some local wildlife to help you battle your slimy foes. Sadly, our garden is not conducive to these creatures – we have no pond, and our dogs wouldn’t take kindly to these garden visitors.
But, if you can make an inviting garden environment for frogs and hedgehogs, they can be wonderful allies in the fight against the slugs.
Frogs and hedgehogs
(Kate Rothwell-Jackson)
You may think that you don’t have the time or space for a pond, but you’d be surprised what little is needed. Any container will do, even a simple plastic washing-up basin filled with water (preferably rainwater from your water butt) and a couple of aquatic plants will create a living space. You can put it into a hole dug into your garden beds or make a display by disguising it with rocks and other plants. If you do this, remember to stagger a few stones or rocks as a ladder to crawl out in case you’re lucky enough to attract birds or hedgehogs. Otherwise, if they fall in, they may not be able to get out and could drown. The RSPB website (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) has some great articles and tools for making a pond and teaching your kids how to get involved with nature.
Leopard slugs
Another friend is a relation of the foe. I must say this is something that has been mentioned to me numerous times by gardeners in the States every time I mention slugs being my worst garden enemy. There is a slug, which while still looks just as disgusting as your average Joe slug, has been known to eat other slugs. The leopard slug is effectively the Hannibal Lecter of the slime world. These slugs apparently enjoy eating rotting food and dead plants as well, rather than healthy plants. I am yet to see one in my garden, but perhaps someday.
Winning the slug war in your garden
Mention an opinion about slug abatement to another gardener and they will likely passionately agree or disagree with any of these opinions. Some swear by one method or another and can’t imagine trying a different technique. Gardeners can be stuck in their ways; I know I certainly have been on occasion.
But when it comes to slugs, I like to think that with the bit of experience I have, I can give you some educated opinions. This article contains not just my view or that of a handful of allotment owners on Facebook, but even some learning that the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) published. In 2018, they performed a test on more than 100 lettuce in raised beds over a period of 6 weeks, with each bed having a barrier surrounding the base of the lettuce using crushed eggshells, pine bark, mulch, copper tape, sharp horticultural grit and wood pellets, and found that there was no difference in the damage sustained between the beds with the barriers put up compared to those that were at the same time left simply unprotected. A fascinating experiment.
Slugs are picky things, believe it or not. You could have a host of established plants, with just a couple of young lettuce or saplings in the middle, and they’ll specifically hunt those babies out. Protect them from the start, and Godspeed as you wage the slug war in your garden, too.
If you have any further ideas of natural remedies such as the use of marigolds, or other things to plant as a sacrificial border for tomatoes or other plants, we’d love to hear from you. Or if you have any other positive and productive thoughts, please get in touch. Depending on your feedback, we’ll review our slug war rules of engagement.
Thank you!
We reached out on some popular gardening Facebook groups for members to share images from their gardens for this article. Many thanks to everyone who responded, we really appreciate your support!
