A small, slimy, life-annoying mollusc? A slug! It appears in shady and damp corners, leaves a mucus trail, nibbles on vegetables and petals and disappears quietly. Annoying and voracious as they are, these creatures play an important role in the cycle of nature. However, too much is too much, and sometimes it is necessary to change the direction of their journey. How can we help slugs change direction or get rid of them altogether?
Collect and take away
One of the easiest ways to get rid of slugs is to pick them up and carry them to another place. A good time to collect them is in the evening or at night, when they come out most often. Compost, tall grass, places under boards or wood, flower pots or manhole covers. Even if you don’t carry them too far, it will take them a while to return and they don’t primarily lay as many eggs around the garden.
Salt them
If you want to get rid of slugs for good and don’t mind a more drastic method, then salt them. Either collected in a bucket or still crawling on the ground. Salt will dissolve the slugs, which is as drastic as pouring acid on a person. The downside of this method is that you only get rid of slugs that are already on the property, but the salt will not repel new ones.
Water watermark
A less drastic method is to use water, ideally hot water. This will boil the slugs in seconds and they will be gone in no time. To speed up the effect, add soda water, vinegar or soap to the water.
Build barriers and shelters, trap them
To deter slugs, build a barricade of garlic, parsley, sage, thyme or ferns. Sawdust spread around plants has the same effect. Prepare hiding places around the plants using bags, planks or soaked pieces of carpet, under which slugs can hide and be easily picked up. Place traps around the garden in the form of cups set in the ground. Partially fill the cups with beer or commercially available baits.