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Slug Pest Control

Slugs are one of the most damaging, persistent garden pests to eradicate. There are numerous garden slug control methods available commercially, but some of them can be harmful to birds, animals, and friendly garden insects.

Slug Pest Control Methods

This page discusses organic and natural slug control methods that may be a more suitable alternative for your garden.

Copper Wiring

Another slug control method is to attach small strips of copper around the sides of flower pots or raised beds. The copper acts as a barrier that slugs won’t cross. Make sure there aren’t any leaves or branches hanging over the side that will allow slugs to bypass the copper. The copper wiring method has worked well in some gardens and not at all in others.

Watering Schedule

Probably one of the best ways to get rid of slugs is to alter your watering schedule. Slugs have very delicate bodies that require a moist environment to. Slugs are abundant in the garden because it contains a great source of food and it is usually very moist from watering. If you have a slug problem, make sure you are not watering your garden in the evening. Water in the morning instead. This simple method can reduce garden slug damage by 75%.

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is the sharp, jagged skeletal remains of very small shellfish. It is used as a slug control method because the sharp edges of the diatomaceous earth can lacerate the soft bodies of slugs and snails, causing them to dehydrate. One problem with diatomaceous earth is that is virtually ineffective when wet. It can also be very irritating to eyes and lungs, so it needs to be used with caution.

Lava Rock

An alternative to diatomaceous earth is lava rock. Lava rock has an abrasive surface that most slugs will avoid. The reason that it is important is because it has a number of uses, and it can make it easy to garden without the use of artificial chemicals and pesticides. Lava rock can be used as mulch when you are growing, and it can also help with erosion. Plus, an aesthetic benefit is that it comes in both black and red, to give a unique look to your garden.

Killing Slugs Manually

Many of the above slug control methods have been used with mixed success - for some they work very well, for others they don’t work at all. If you are one of the unlucky gardeners that just can’t maintain slug control, you may have to try hunting them down one by one. The main downside to this method is that it takes a long time. Many slugs will still enter your garden from outside and it can be very time consuming to turn over every leaf looking for slugs. One popular slug killing method is to mix a solution of 3/4 household ammonia with water, shake it up in a spray bottle and hunt them down individually. The ammonia is harmless to plants but the slugs die almost instantly when hit. Go out at night with a flashlight when slugs are most active.