Slugs (cat, snakes, violet, insect)

[RUBIES77]

I most have about a million slugs. I do not wish to use insecticides. What is left? Thank you,

[wit-nit]

Thirteen ways to Stop Slugs

[paperhouse]

Shallow dish buried in the mulch. Fill with beer each evening. Dispose of dead slugs in the morning. Repeat. Over and over.

In the spring, remove all your mulch and let your soil get some air and sunlight. It will destroy the eggs of many slugs.

I hate pouring beer on the ground, but it does work.

[Rtom45]

Salt from a shaker on individual slugs. Or pick them and pinch them - use latex gloves if you're squeamish. Evening is a good time to do either one of these.

[MICoastieMom]

Couple words of caution about diatomaceous earth. Because earthworms have similar soft-tissue bodies to slugs, anything diatomaceous earth does to slugs it will also do to worms. The best the time apply it is at dusk on a calm evening. It has serious consequences for the bumble/honey population that is busy pollinating your garden.

I consider slugs my personal nemesis so I am very serious about eradicating them without harming anything else in my garden. I have found that any of the straight-sided, small, commercial pickle jars works better than a shallow dish. I partially bury them and add the beer. Inexpensive beer does seem to work better- it has a more yeasty quality to it, which is what attracts the slugs. They can get into the jar, but once they come into contact with the beer, they are unable to climb the straight slippery sides of the glass jar.

If you have plants in pots, try purchasing some copper from the hardware shop and making collars for the rim of the saucer. You must make sure that no leaves are hanging down to the ground, though. the slugs will use that as a bridge and avoid the copper altogether.

Coffee grounds and broken egg shells also work, but again, they have the same result on earthworms. Use them sparely. A heavy ring of them around your prized hostas shouldn't have too much effect on the worms, since the worms aren't trying to eat the plants. Toads are are natural predator, as are what we called garter snakes as kids (the striped garden snakes), chickens, ducks, and believe it or not, skunks, who consider slugs to be a delicacy.

Cheap table salt works fine for killing them on your cement patio, but it should not be used in the garden. Somewhere around here I have a recipe for a spray that incudes tobasco. You spray it on the plantrs themselves to make them inedible to the slug.

[Ohiogirl81]

Beer. Pour a little into a shallow dish, drink the rest.

My sister swears she's seen slugs turn around toward her as she poured the beer out on her patio. Greedy little suckers.

[andthentherewere3]

I have only found one safe, organic method that won't hurt pets or people, that REALLy works. (sure the beer works, but you'd better buy a keg---the first year I tried that I had cat food cans filled with beer all around the gardens and yard, and yuck, emptying the dead slugs and re-filling the beer every day was a real PITA) The beer works best for small infestations. But it tastes good all the same.

Try this, I use it every year. (and keep the beer for yourself, lol)
Escar-Go! Supreme (http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=2967 - broken link)

[Moth]

I will attest that beer works. Use some cheap stuff as there is no point in using Guinness to obliterate them. My old man used to fill up bowls with Old Milwaukee. The little devils could not resist. They crawled in and drowned in a drunken orgy of euphoria.

[RUBIES77]

My deepest gratitude to all the people who posted about eradicating slugs. Reps to all of you, for your help!

[tcs1366]

i did not have luck with Beer Traps ... maybe my container was too small, but i didnt get any.

what works for me, and you have to be diligent about it.... is a 1:10 ratio of ammonia and water in a spray bottle.

I did this a lot last year, going out in the evening with a flash light and my spray bottle.

I have not been home much this summer, hence no spraying, but it does seen the only hosta to have paid the price is my Northern Sunray.