http://www.care2.com/greenliving/6-ways-to-thwart-snails-and-slugs.html
6 Ways to Thwart Snails and Slugs
Adapted from Yankee Magazine's Panty Hose, Hot Peppers, Tea Bags, and more for the Garden: 1,001 Ingenious Ways to Use Common Household Items to Control Weeds, Beat Pests, Cook Compost, Solve Problems, Make Tricky Jobs Easy, and Save Time (Yankee Books, 2005).
Slugs and snails are a huge problem in many gardens, especially those with tender-leafed plants that have lots of folds or large sheltering leaves low to the ground, such as lettuce, hostas and tender seedlings. Luckily, there are many ways to stop these critters.
1. Ammonia and water. Mix equal parts non-sudsing ammonia and water in a spray bottle. Visit the garden on a rainy morning or cool evening and spray the slugs as they feed. This technique is most effective on baby slugs, which thrive in the crowns of hostas and daylilies. As an added bonus, the ammonia converts to nitrogen and acts as a foliar food for the plants. (Note: Some ferns and seedlings may suffer leaf burn from this spray. Test on a single leaf first.)
2. Vinegar and water. Mix two parts vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture directly on slugs you see or as you find them under boards or in the crevices of rock gardens. Be careful not to let the spray come in contact with plant foliage.
3. Wood ashes. A ring of wood ashes from your fireplace will discourage slugs from climbing up the stems of plants. Sprinkle the ashes in a band a few inches wide, but don’t let them actually touch the stem of the plant. Caution: If your soil is alkaline, as it is in many parts of the West and Southwest, avoid putting ashes on your soil or in your compost heap. They can raise the pH even higher.
4. A window screen. Cut an old window screen into long strips at least 6 inches wide. Sink the strips 3 inches into the soil so that a fence surrounds your most vulnerable plants.
5. Clay pots. Lure slugs away from your plants to where you can find and destroy them. Set out small clay flowerpots turned upside down and propped up on one side with a flat rock. These traps are attractive enough to use in container plantings.
6. Damp cardboard, rolled-up newspaper, grapefruit rinds or damp burlap. Position these materials around your garden to collect slugs. Gather the items each morning and destroy the slugs. Or move the slugs, “hotels” and all, to your compost pile.
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8 comments
add your comment »i really respect people who realize that us humans are the problem, not the animals - we are the ones invading their space! so thank you to all of the above members for giving me tips on how to keep the snails off my lettuce etc, will try the flower sprinkling as well as the garlic water - maybe my salad will have a garlic taste, too? hm, new variety, yummy!
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have not tried this one, boil some fresh garlic in water, cool it down and spray it over the plants which are prone to slugs. it is friendlier then to kill them, they just go away.
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Why is it necessary to "destroy" slugs? When I have a slug invasion I collect them in the early morning with a small hand trowel and an empty yogurt container. Then I dump them somewhere where they won't be a bother (usually on the compost pile). The purpose of slugs is to break down (usually) dead and rotting organic materials in order to help make soil. I have to agree that it makes me mad when they devour "my plants', but they are an important member of Nature. I like the deterrent methods better because they are much more "green". Hopefully most people will choose these ways instead.
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Yes Beer is very good for luring slugs away from your precious plants, they can't resist it. Here in the UK we place pots and trays of beer around the garden anf all the local slugs make a 'B Line' for them. It's added bonus is that it's not harmful to pets, birds or other wildlife!
Suzie, Derbyshire, UK
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Sprinking Plain flour is a very good to keep slugs and snails from your plants.
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I have been fighting snails ever since my over-zealous watering neighbor moved in. I have been able to ban her from my side of the garden, but over-watering creates a haven for snails & slugs. The other tips I have found to work are setting my pots on old natural fiber doormats & sprinkling pretty loose rocks or gravel around the flower beds. Large rock or sea salt also works! Snails need smoother surfaces to crawl on in order to inch up the pots or soil into your plants. Their is also a good snail bait that I use that is not harmful to birds, pets & other beneficial animals & insects called "SLUGGO".
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Use Beer to kill slugs...just pour a few ounces into a shallow tray and place it in the garden. The slugs are drawn to it, they get drunk first (haha) throw them away and start over again especially if it rains.
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Use Beer to kill slugs...just pour a few ounces into a shallow tray and place it in the garden. The slugs are drawn to it, they get drunk first (haha) throw them away and start over again especially if it rains.
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