Looking for more ways to rid the garden of snails and slugs. Thanks.

Phillipcardjr
by Phillipcardjr
Last year it was Chipmunks, a rabbit who liked morning glory plants ( along with her two little ones ) and a woodchuck that enjoyed pea plants. This year it is slugs and snails working their way into the strawberry bed.
  7 answers
  • Linda Weaver Linda Weaver on Jun 14, 2017

    My dad always put out aluminum tins of beer. The slugs and snails would crawl in and drown.

    • Phillipcardjr Phillipcardjr on Jun 17, 2017

      Good reason to have a cold beer after working in the garden. Might even be able to get the neighbors to help when they see the cans all around.

  • Karen Karen on Jun 14, 2017

    I save eggshells, crush them, and sprinkle them around the plants. They repel slugs and are good for the soil too.

  • Sar21949257 Sar21949257 on Jun 14, 2017

    pour beer in a dish and set out in the areas the snails/slugs are.

  • Alison Maloney Alison Maloney on Jun 14, 2017

    I just use an all purpose bug killer ... on my lawns and garden (not on the plants- just around them) .. iIt killls the bugs- thereby killing the food source for the critters.

  • Jean Jean on Jun 14, 2017

    In Germany they sprinkled salt on them. I had two boys 3 and 5. I would give them a nickle for every slug they gathered. Cost me a few dollars but it made a difference in my rock garden and kept them busy for an hour every morning.

  • William William on Jun 14, 2017

    Sink a few bowls or plates in the ground level with the surface. Fill the bowls/plates with (cheap) beer. The yeast attracts the slugs. They drink their fill and drown. Not their sorrows


    Anything you can make it uncomfortable for the slugs/snails to crawl on will deter them. A combination of solutions from everyone here should take care of them.


    Broken nutshells work in the same way as egg shells when getting rid of slugs. Break up the nutshells into small pieces, and create a protective barrier around your plants. Any slugs that come near your vegetables will soon turn the other way.


    Crushed egg shells work as a great home remedy of slugs. This is because slugs don’t like moving across sharp objects, although it isn’t not impossible for them to do, they just prefer not to. Break up the empty egg shells into small(ish) pieces and place around the flowers, plants, vegetables, and fruits you want to keep safe from slug damage.


    Ash and Cinders make a rough protective barrier, and the fine ash also acts as a desiccant that dries the slug out. Wood ash and cinders are preferable. Avoid direct contact with plants.


    Grit and Gravel. The sharp rasping edges of finely crushed ‘horticultural grit’ makes an excellent slug barrier. Coarser gravel is largely ineffective, other than for decorative purposes.


    Sandpaper. Cut rings of sandpaper and slip them round the stems of vulnerable plants.


    Sawdust makes a good coarse barrier around tender plants, also acting as a desiccant that dries the slug out. Hardwood sawdust is most effective, and some people recommend cedar or oak.


    Copper Rings or Discs. Solid copper rings/discs of various diameter, used to encircle single or small groups of plants to inflict a mild electric shock on the unsuspecting slug. Look for rings that clip together. These are easy to slip round established plant stems, or join together to form a larger barrier.

  • Mary Gendron Mary Gendron on Jun 17, 2017

    Your soil needs lime. If the slug situation continues, they will attract moles, then you'll have more problems. The PH in your soil needs lime, and it should help get rid of the slugs.