How to Get Rid of Garden Slugs Naturally

A couple of slimy little slugs

Garden slugs are a pest that can do an absolute number on your garden. These slimy little pests can be difficult to find, but the damage they do is obvious. If you're having problems with garden slugs, don't worry! Read on to find several actions you can take to safely get rid of garden slugs without the use of any dangerous chemicals or poisons.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Beer
• Small tub
• Funnel
• Can
• Duck tape (to seal funnel over can)
• Leftover coffee
• Sane (optional but helpful)
• Black plastic trash bag

1. Beer is one of your best friend when you want to get rid of unwanted garden slugs. Slugs can't swim, so they drown if they slide into a tub of beer. But because of the smell, they love beer like Greek sailors loved the Sirens. Putting a small tub, half full, of beer in the garden can help to attract any pesky slugs, and they'll drown.

2. Another way to use the beer is to create a "slug trap." Get a wide mouthed funnel and a tin can, and tape the funnel to the can, spout pointed down. Fill the can about half way with beer and put the can on its side. Slugs will be able to crawl in, but they won't be able to crawl back out. This method also keeps dogs from lapping up the beer from an open tray.

3. Another way to attract garden slugs is to put down a moist trash bag in your garden at night. Get up early in the morning, such as 6 a.m. and then tie up the garbage bag and get rid of the slugs as you see fit. Freezing is one popular method.

4. If you have the ability, putting a foot wide track of sand around your entire garden this is a good idea as it can make it difficult for slugs to move into your garden - they need moisture and slime, and the grainy sand makes it extremely difficult for them to move, keeping your garden safe in the middle.

5. Throw out the morning coffee in the garden, not the sink. Caffeine can have a very negative effect on insects and slugs - it almost works like a natural pesticide to slugs. If you have unfinished coffee in the morning that you would throw out anyway, toss it into the ground around your plants. This will help to repel slugs, and kill the ones already there. The caffeine can absorb into the ground, making your garden unattractive to slugs in general.

6. Use a combination of these natural methods to keep slugs out of your garden, or to kill the pesky garden slugs already there.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a variety of these methods to get the maximum effect from your efforts

• If you use the beer method, only fill the tub half way so the slugs can't crawl out

• Don't use slug poisons, EVER! Many of these are also harmful to other animals like cats and dogs, and some are even harmful to young children

Resources

• eHow Home and Garden Topic Guide
• Sluggo Snail & Slug Bait