Did you know the average garden can be home to up to 15,000 slugs? But as well as munching their way through your veggie patch, slugs can also get acquainted in our homes too, as their boneless bodies are able to squeeze through even the smallest of cracks.
Luckily, there are lots of different ways to deter slugs away from your most prized garden crop and front door, from building a beer trap (yes really, slugs love the booze!) to laying down egg shells and building a hedgehog house. Read on to find out how...
How to get rid of slugs in the garden
The garden is definitely a slugs' favourite destination as they love to eat plants, particularly leaves, stems, roots and veg. But there are a few ways you can prevent slugs sliming their way through the foliage, including biological and cultural control to using a chemical treatment.
Build a hedgehog house
Slugs are one of hedgehog's favourite delicacies (as well as snails and insects). Therefore encouraging more hedgehogs into your garden by building a hedgehog home can be a great way to keep slug numbers down.
If you’ve got some time on your hands then we’ve got a great guide on how to build your very own hedgehog home and you’ll probably already have most of the items lying around in your house.
Description
This adorable hedgehog home, set with a little window, door and even a name sign, is sure to attract some spiky friends into your garden (what hedgehog wouldn't want this abode as their home?). Place it outside your home before October, so they have a house ready for hibernation.
Wood pellets, coffee grounds, egg shells and grit
Slugs hate clambering over rough and spiky objects, so if there’s a particular plant or batch of veggies you want to protect, surround them with a thick layer of either of these.
If you’re using egg shells, Lovethegarden suggests popping them in the oven first and baking them on a low heat, as this will make them more spiky and even less appealing for those pesky slugs.
Description
As well as helping to control the slugs in your outdoor area, these natural wood pellets have been made from recycled wool, so they're a great option if you're keen to keep your garden organic. Simply scatter on the soil, water and watch your plants thrive slug free. They also release nutrients to help feed your plants too.
Buy a bird table
Another natural predator that really enjoys a good slug is birds, particularly Song Thrushes.
If you don’t have many birds in your garden why not try to encourage more by buying either a bird table or a bird bath? Apparently Song Thrushes are a big fan of suet pellets, so spreading some of these on the ground or popping them into a feeder could help entice them into your garden and get rid of those squelchy slugs.
Description
This hanging bird table is perfect for gardens that don't have a lot of space. Simply hang it from a tree and watch the birds flock. It's also made of durable wood too that can survive all seasons, so there's no need to take it down once the weather turns.
Set up a beer trap
It’s not just people who enjoy a nice cool beer on a warm summer's day as slugs love it too - no really! They’re attracted to the fermentation gasses of the beer. Lovethegarden has a really easy beer trap guide and all you need is a beer and a jam jar.
- Half fill a jam jar with beer.
- Sink it into the soil, with its rim approximately 1cm (0.5in) above the soil surface (to prevent predators of slugs, like beetles, from falling in).
- The aroma never fails to attract slugs and in seeking its source the pests simply fall in and drown.
Get some slug pellets
These contain substances that are poisonous to slugs and will kill them once they make direct contact with them. Spread a thin layer on the soil or around your vulnerable plant and veggies to help keep them safe.
Always make sure to keep slug pellets out of reach of children and pets.
Grow or buy slug repellent plants
There are a few plants which slugs really don’t like, such as fennel, rosemary, wormwood, rue, anise and astantia. All of these give off a smell that slugs hate, so you’ll find them wriggling away in no time.
How to get rid of slugs in the house
It’s never a nice surprise to wake up and find a slimy trail on your kitchen floor left by a slug or, even worse, stepping on one. Slugs usually venture into our homes because they want something, like warmth or shade. Here’s a few ways you can prevent them from outstaying their welcome.
Copper tape
When slugs slide onto copper tape it creates a small electrical charge that deters the slugs away from them. Put a strip of copper tape by the door as a barrier and any other entrance points that you think slugs may be able to enter. You can also put this around your plant pots too.
Description
A great way to stop slugs attacking your veggies and plants without introducing poisons or chemicals into your garden. Line areas in your home, plant pots and raised beds to keep slugs far far away.
Salt
Salt kills slugs as it apparently draws the water out of their skin and they die within minutes of dehydration. So if you’ve found a slug trail in your home, follow it back to its starting point and lay down some salt. It may not be the most humane method, but it will certainly solve the problem.
Reseal windows and doors
As we mentioned at the start, slugs have no bones in their bodies and therefore can squeeze through the tiniest of spaces, including cracks in windows seals and doors. Check that there are no holes or cracks in any of your windows and doors and if there are reseal them to prevent slugs from entering.