Mick on the next plot shakes his head. ‘You want to put some pellets down there, love,’ he says.
I decline as politely as I can. What I’d like to say is: ‘thanks for the advice, but I’d rather not poison my veg with those nasty little blue things that are harmful to kids, pets and the environment. If I wanted my veg served with chemicals I wouldn’t bother growing them, I’d buy them.’
Mick is right about one thing though. Slugs are a pain in the arse. Slimy, repulsive and destructive, they deserve to be exterminated.
So if you want to do it organically, here are a few tried, tested and untested methods.
BEER TRAPS: cut the top off a coke can, or sink a plastic cup into the soil, so the top is about level with the soil surface. Fill the can about three quarters full with beer then wait for the slugs to dive in.
PROS: the slugs drown in an alcoholic stupor. CONS: apart from the obvious waste of beer, this is not so practical for large vegetable patches or allotments. You also need to empty out the dead slugs and replace the beer on a regular basis.
SALT: Sprinkle a ring of salt around the perimeter of your vegetables.
PROS: the slugs shrivel up and die – a kind of death by osmosis. CONS: bad for the soil, not recommended.
BARRIERS: Spread egg shell, grit, or sand, around the edge of your veg patch.
PROS: natural and won’t harm the soil.
CONS: despite claims slugs won’t slide over rough surfaces, I haven’t found this to be true. In my experience they will happily slither over barbed wire if there’s a lettuce on the other side.
slug protection cover
COVER: cut plastic drinks bottles in half and place over young, vulnerable plants. Or use the top half of a propagator (like in the photograph.)
PROS: slugs can’t gnaw through plastic, so tender seedlings are safe. CONS: once the plants get too big you’ll need to remove the covers, rendering them open to attack again. But older plants may be able to withstand the damage.
COPPER: place copper tape (available from garden stores) around pots.
PROS: the electrostatic charge repels the slugs
CONS: expensive and not practical if you have a large patch, but good for sticking around the edge of containers.
NEMATODES: these are natural organisms, invisible to the human eye, which can be bought from garden stores and added to the soil when you water. They release bacteria which stop the slugs from feeding, so they die.
PROS: safe and doesn’t harm the environment. CONS: labour intensive, more costly than some other methods, best done early in the season when the slugs are young. I haven’t used this method, though am planning to try it next year. I have heard mixed reports of its success, so let me know if you’ve tried it.
But to really get rid of slugs there is only one solution (warning: don’t read on if you’re sqeamish.)
SCISSORS: yes, scissors. Simply wait for those menacing mollusks to appear. Then snip!
PROS: satisfaction of watching a slug’s innards squelch over sharp metal.
CONS: you’d have to sit out all night to make a serious dent in the population. Risk of revenge attacks by animal rights activists. 
So there you have some variable methods of controlling slugs. There are others which I haven’t covered such as throwing apples down to attract birds (the theory is they will also eat the slugs) and spreading coffee grounds on the soil, though you’d need a serious caffeine habit to produce enough to keep slugs away.
My advice would be to try a combination of several methods and also to grow more plants than you need – that way if the slugs help themselves, hopefully you will still have enough to see you through the season.
Do you have a slug problem or have you found a successful way to eliminate them?
There are SO many slugs this year! It takes ages for my son to cycle to school at the moment because there are loads of slugs all over the pavement and he doesn’t like cycling over them. Why are they even there?
I have no idea! I really can’t see any reason for their existence.
…and I read that the British slug is underthreat from a foreigh super slug as a “super breed” of slugs has arrived from Spain,. Good-oh. It gets worse!! I have to say I’ve never had a conversation with the slugs in my garden to find out what language they speak.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18672728
P.S. Cutting them in 2? That’s got to be somewhat less satisfying than a quality hard stamp with a foot (shoe on). Surely?
Oh no – we’re all doomed then! Stamping sounds good too.
Gosh if they have come over from Spain there’s no stopping them! I mean how on earth did they travel that far over sea , land……:-) We need more hedgehogs!!!!!!!!
I do have a serious coffee addiction so I’ll give the coffee grounds method a go, much as I hate slugs I couldn’t cut them in half!
Go for it! I do use coffee too, though I with all the rain think it just gets washed away!
Oh my god – scissors?!?!? I loathe slugs but just couldn’t do it I think!
No seriously, try it!
We have been tempted to use pellets this year as everything we have tried has failed and we have no bloody plants left!
I know, it’s soul destroying. They have completely wiped out my lettuces, but I find they aren’t so keen on other ‘tougher’ plants like courgettes and tomatoes, though nothing is immune. I am now trying lettuces in copper taped containers to see if that works!
This made me laugh! I can soooo empathise. We tried beer, but after 4 cans, I thought that was probably more money than the veg was worth.
I’m liking the coffee idea though! xx
Just use some Bakers Yeast and a little suger to make a brew for your traps its alot cheaper!
I am planning on digging a moat around my allotment about a foot wide!
Anyone think a slug might burrow under a 30cmx30cm moat lined with plastic?
I hope they cant !
thanks for the bakers yeast tip and good luck with the moat!
Our local BP garage ( which sells coffee too) leaves out free bags of coffee grinds for gardeners to help themselves,. Maybe you could cadge a free supply. I once visited a house which was mulched with free cocoa husks from the local chocolate factory- not a good idea for a chocoholic- the aroma almost killed me!
Ask your local pub to save the contents of their slop trays for your beer traps. It may help if you provide some containers for the slops and offer some of your vegetables (if we ever get any this year).
that’s an idea – my local is a bit scary, but might give it a go! Thanks.
I am new to gardening and have a problem with ants slugs aphids and … Children … Lol!
also read some where slugs live and breed under ground :/
My son Broke a gala apple tree sapling :’( in half. When I dug it up there was two tiny slug like things clinging to what was left of the roots!!! No wonder it looked like a twig in the ground! Dose anyone know what it was and how to protect any other replacement trees I get!? I am a complete novice so any advise is probably news to me. Thanks
I’m thinking of putting the blighters to work making compost from kitchen waste and weeds. I just need to make a tank they can’t escape from. I’m serious. I could market it. The problem with it will be to separate the compost from the slugs. Any thoughts on that anyone?
Try rough sandpaper stapled along the edge of raised beds..must be waterproof paper! !!!!
thats so funny about the moat. imagine digging a moat around your allotment and filling it with beer to catch slugs. thats so funny, im laughing out loud. I was thinking about putting out some fish tails and trying to attract some sea gulls into my garden – im sure they would like slugs …although the fish tails may attract cats. Ill have another think about it…..
Dobies are selling lambs wool as a slug repeller no sure if it works or if anyone has tried it.
not heard of that one before, be interested to know if it works though.