How to Get Rid of Slugs and Snails From Your Garden

Snails and slugs can devastate a garden.

Slugs and garden snails are some of the most irritating and damaging creatures in the garden. It doesn't seem that there is anything they won't eat. They come out at night and chew holes in leaves. A telltale slimy trail and damaged plants tell you about their stealthy invasion. Fortunately, there are several ways to deal with these creatures. Try one or any combination.

Things You'll Need

• Shallow containers
• Stale beer
• Flashlight
• Bucket of soapy water
• Diatomaceous earth
• Copper-based garden edging strips
• Boards

Instructions

1. Create an eco-friendly environment for ants, beetle grubs, earwigs, flies, birds, snakes, toads and turtles. All these creatures prey on slugs. Avoid herbicides and pesticides.

2. Sink saucers of stale beer into the soil near affected plants. The slugs and snails are attracted to the beer and will drown themselves in it.

3. Handpick slugs and snails from plants and drop them in a bucket of soapy water. Do this at night with the aid of a flashlight.

4. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the stem bases of your plants. Diatomaceous earth is a natural powder that will slice into the exoskeleton of the slugs and snails and dehydrate them.

5. Make a barrier around the garden beds by edging them with copper-based strips. Remove slugs that are already in the bed when you put up the barrier. The copper reacts with the slug's slime and creates a slight shock to them.

6. Place boards around the garden. The slugs and snails hide there after their excursions into the garden. Flip the boards over in the morning and throw any slugs and snails into a bucket of soapy water.

Tips & Warnings

• If you choose to use a pesticide, the most effective is one containing iron phosphate.

References

• Clemson Cooperative Extension: Snails & Slugs in the Home Garden
• University of Minnesota Extension: Slugs in Home Gardens
• Ohio State University: Slugs and Their Management