Chris is a gardening writer and nature enthusiast. He graduated from Oxford Brookes University in 2022 with an MA in Psychology. Chris works with the Leeds Green Action Society, helping their food cooperative by growing various fruit and vegetables on their two allotments in Hyde Park, Leeds.
Reviewed By PETER LICKORISH
Peter is a Horticulture Lecturer and self-employed Horticulturist, with a passion for diverse areas of the industry - from garden design to the science behind plant growth and propagation. He has completed the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture (MHort) Award and lectures on RHS courses at Bedford College.
Contributions From VAL BOURNE
Val Bourne is a GMG award-winning gardener, lecturer and author who is known for her organic gardening style - with experience dating back over 60 years. She has an allotment and has published several books on natural gardening, including 'The Ten-Minute Gardener' and 'Colour In The Garden'.
IN THIS GUIDE
- Know Your Enemy
- Why Are Slugs Hard To Control?
- What Does Slug Damage Look Like?
- How To Get Rid Of Slugs Naturally
- 1) A Pinch Of Salt
- 2) Plant Power
- 3) Water Strategically
- 4) Invite Some Hungry Guests
- 5) Put Up The Barricades
- 6) Bottoms Up With A Beer Trap
- 7) Lure Them In
- 8) Get Some Chickens
- Banish Those Slugs
- References
Slugs truly can be the bane of a gardener’s existence.
These infuriating creatures can wreak havoc on your garden, ruining everything in their path and leaving behind their tell-tale trails of revolting slime.
There are few things more upsetting to a gardener than finding their fruits, vegetables and other prized plants have been chewed beyond recognition.
It feels like the slugs are making a declaration of war; and if that’s the case, we say bring it on.
Yes, you could opt for shop-bought slug baits and killers, but these can be packed full of very nasty chemicals which can cause harm to pets and humans alike.
For this reason, many gardeners are now opting for a more natural approach to reclaim their garden from these savage slugs.
Know Your Enemy
It is worth mentioning that most species of slugs are actually decomposers, and feed solely on animal waste and decaying plants.1Naeve, L. (n.d.). Slug it Out with Slugs in Your Garden. Iowa State University. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2006/jun/070201.htm
Unfortunately though, there are a few other species that ruin the reputation of all slugs.
These kinds of slugs are the ones that love to dine on living plants, and they’re the real enemies.
Slugs are shell-less, terrestrial, gastropod molluscs.2Terrestrial Snails and Slugs. (n.d.). The Living World of Molluscs. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.molluscs.at/gastropoda/terrestrial.html?/gastropoda/terrestrial/slugs.html
They are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female reproductive cells; however, they do need a mate to reproduce.3Langley, L. (2015, June 22). Inside the Strange World of Slug Sex and Slime. Animals. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/inside-the-strange-world-of-slug-sex-and-slime
Slugs take about one year to reach adulthood and usually live for around two years, but during that time they can do an impressive amount of damage to your garden.4Slug Facts. (n.d.). The RSPB. Retrieved August 22, 2023, from https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/other-garden-wildlife/insects-and-other-invertebrates/worms-slugs-spiders/slug/
With their tiny, grater-like teeth, slugs make short shrift of shredding leaves entirely and completely decimating seedlings.
Why Are Slugs Hard To Control?
Slugs tend to operate at night, spending the daytime hidden away under rocks and in damp little secret spaces.
Come morning gardeners will see the damage but, with no slug in sight, it can be hard to tell which creature is to blame.
For this reason, many gardeners will suspect the culprit is some sort of insect and will treat their plants with a general insecticide which will sadly not affect the slugs (and likely harm precious pollinators like bees).
“Raised beds and container plants harbour pests like slugs” shares Horticulturist Val Bourne.
“Slugs get down between the wood and the soil, whilst the normal things that eat them, like hedgehogs, frogs and toads, can’t get into the raised beds, providing more of a problem.”
If you have managed to catch the slugs in the act and know that they are the real criminals, then you still have to work out what to do about them.
Picking them out of your garden by hand is both revolting and relatively ineffective.
What Does Slug Damage Look Like?
Knowing how to identify slug damage is the first step to fully confirming the presence of these malevolent molluscs.
Here are some fool-proof ways of identifying these garden slug thugs:
- Trails of slime are the primary indicator of slug activity, keep an eye out for it on plants, paths, rocks and mulch.
- Leaves with jagged holes in the centre as well as around the edges.
- Slugs adore soft fruit and veg, look out for perfectly round holes in your tomatoes, strawberries and other similar plants.
- Slugs can completely kill seedlings, so if you’re seeing them entirely gone, or with just tiny parts remaining, then slugs are almost certainly to blame.
How To Get Rid Of Slugs Naturally
Once you have identified that your garden is suffering from a slug infestation, it’s time to do something about it.
“Slugs can be beneficial for eating rotting plant material, doing a cleaning job for you, so tolerate them where you can,” shares Val.
As Val says, a small amount of plant damage can be tolerated, but if you are finding that these little monsters are getting out of hand, then we have put together a list of the best, natural ways to prevent and remove them from your garden.
1) A Pinch Of Salt
This is arguably one of the most well-known natural ways to eliminate slugs.
It’s effective, albeit not terribly humane.
Although salt does essentially dissolve the slugs, it takes a long time to do so and they may suffer a lot.
If you do opt for this method, take care not to put too much salt on the soil around your plants as, while salt is bad for slugs, it really isn’t great for plants either.
2) Plant Power
One of the first things you can do to combat these crafty critters is to use the power of plants.
There are plenty of plants that slugs not only dislike, but which actively deter them from your garden.
Plants like garlic, rosemary and lavender (along with many others) produce scents that slugs simply cannot abide.
Planting them close to plants that slugs do enjoy will help keep them at bay.
Other plants traditionally used in companion planting are irresistible to pests (take marigolds for example) and it may be worth planting these to keep slug pests away from your main crops.
“Ultimately, my goal is to provide a healthy ecosystem so that all the bugs eat each other and leave my crops alone, but in reality, that’s actually quite hard to do!” jokes Emma Bailey, a Garden Blogger.
“I love companion planting for this. For example, I grow nasturtiums around my pumpkins in an attempt to keep the slugs away!
“I also like to grow a few sacrificial crops around my plot. This year I planted lots of cabbages all around my raised beds to give the slugs something yummy to eat. It worked better than expected and I managed to get a whole row of carrots to germinate!”
3) Water Strategically
Since slugs are active usually at night, then we highly recommend watering first thing in the morning.
This gives your garden a chance to dry over the course of the day so come nightfall it isn’t so welcoming to them.
It is also wise not to use loose mulches as these can be very attractive to slugs.
Avoid woodchippings and hay or straw and instead opt for compost, leaf mould or wool pellets, which are marketed for their repelling effect on slugs.
4) Invite Some Hungry Guests
Make sure you remove anything that slugs can hide under during the day such as old logs and bricks.
With nowhere to hide, they will be fully exposed to hungry predators who will happily help you clear the slugs away.
Birds, toads, hedgehogs and newts are all partial to slugs, so do your best to welcome them into your garden.
By giving them a safe habitat to reside in, your slug problem will quickly be resolved.
5) Put Up The Barricades
These mean molluscs have soft little bodies, and so a barricade of sharp, scratchy stuff you will have a really good shot at protecting your plants.
Eggshells, sand and pine needles are all useful materials to ward off those vile visitors.
Slugs also struggle to climb up slippery surfaces.
By spraying WD40 or something similar on plant pots and containers, you can prevent these unwanted guests from reaching your plants.
Copper tape also makes a most excellent barricade.
The copper reacts with slugs slime and gives it a little electric shock.
By laying down self-adhesive copper tape barricades, you stand a much better chance of defending your precious plants.
6) Bottoms Up With A Beer Trap
Slugs love the smell of beer, so beer traps are usually remarkably successful at luring slugs to their death.
Simply bury a container in the ground, fill it half full with beer, and the slugs will investigate, fall in, and drown.
Take care not to completely submerge the container, instead leave two or three centimetres above ground to prevent helpful, slug-eating ground beetles from also falling to their death.
7) Lure Them In
If you don’t want to waste precious beer, there are other ways to lure slugs in and make disposing of them more efficient.
By using cat food, a bunch of old lettuce leaves or a hollowed melon, you can draw them all to one spot and then dispose of them altogether.
It’s worth taking a torch and having a nighttime garden stroll to catch them when they are most active, allowing you to remove as many as possible in one go.
8) Get Some Chickens
Not only do chickens make wonderful pets that provide you with fresh eggs every morning, they also have an insatiable appetite for slugs.
If you are fortunate enough to have the space, we highly recommend adopting some ex-battery hens.
Not only will you be giving them a second chance at life, they will reward you by removing every slug in sight.
Banish Those Slugs
Hopefully, this article has given you all the information you need to naturally and organically rid your garden of all those slimy slugs.
Remember that while it’s nearly impossible to banish every single slug from your garden, the methods detailed in this article should help you to make a serious impact on their numbers.
They’ll also give you a much better chance of protecting your plants properly.
For the best results, we recommend using a couple of methods together and, once you’re winning against your slug infestation, take care to make your garden as inhospitable as possible to future slugs looking for a new home.
We wish you luck with cleansing your garden of mischievous molluscs.
