| So you go to your favorite garden shop and | | | | Hand Picking: Very simple. Go out into the garden |
| purchase two beautiful pepper plants. It took | | | | at daybreak and hand pick the slugs. This method |
| awhile because you had to sort through all the | | | | also works but is tedious and time consuming. I |
| plants to find the best, most healthy ones. And | | | | still do this today in addition to other methods. |
| they were not cheap. Seems like the price goes | | | | Copper strips: You can purchase copper strips at |
| up every year. | | | | the garden shop made for this purpose. The idea |
| You go home and select that perfect spot in the | | | | is that you completely surround your garden with |
| garden and plant your new peppers. The next | | | | a copper strip barrier and slugs will not cross the |
| morning you wander out to the garden with a cup | | | | copper strip. I have found that, while it is helpful, |
| of coffee to admire your new peppers and to | | | | some slugs apparently do cross the barrier. |
| see if they have miraculously grown six inches | | | | Snail Bait: This is what I have found to be most |
| overnight. Then your heart sinks as you discover | | | | effective. However, conventional snail bait is |
| your plants are gone. Not just nibbled on by some | | | | attractive to dogs (looks like dog food) and it is |
| bug...they are gone. | | | | poisonous to dogs and children. I refuse to put a |
| You have just been victimized by the scourge of | | | | poisonous chemical around plants in my garden |
| the garden. Slugs! | | | | that I intend to eat. However, there is a better |
| Snails and slugs (I'll just refer to slugs hereon) can | | | | product. |
| completely devour a small plant in one sitting. As | | | | Most garden shops and large markets today sell a |
| well as take huge chunks out of the leaves on | | | | snail bait that is "pet friendly". It cost a little more |
| larger plants. Perhaps slugs have some benefit to | | | | but is well worth a dollar or two. It is |
| mankind, but I can not think of any. Certainly not | | | | non-poisonous to pets and people. And... it works. |
| in my garden. So, how do we get rid of them? | | | | I have used the pet-friendly snail bait for several |
| First, no matter what method you eventually use, | | | | years and my garden is 99% snail/slug free. You |
| you must eliminate all debris from your garden | | | | just apply in the afternoon, surrounding the |
| and the surrounding area. Slugs are night | | | | garden or individual plants you want to protect. |
| creatures and do not like being exposed to the | | | | Re-apply every couple of days as your watering |
| open air or daylight. Therefore, they hide and live | | | | or the rain washes it away. |
| under rocks, old wood planks or crass clippings. | | | | Start your treatment in the spring before planting |
| So, the first step in getting rid of them is to | | | | the garden and continue for two weeks. Then |
| remove all their hiding places. Rocks, wooden | | | | you can apply about once a week throughout the |
| boards, grass clippings, that old metal tool that has | | | | growing season and you will not have a slug |
| been in the corner for months...they all must be | | | | problem. |
| removed. | | | | I have found one or two slugs survive |
| Then, choose a method to get rid of them. | | | | occasionally and make it into the garden. This is |
| There are many. Some of the household | | | | very rare and is why I say my garden is 99% |
| remedies are: | | | | slug free instead of 100%. Therefore, I continue |
| Beer in a cup: take any small container that will | | | | to hand pick as necessary on my normal morning |
| hold liquid and bury the top of the container even | | | | walk through the garden. |
| with ground level. Fill with stale beer and wait for | | | | I wish I could tell you that there is a cheap, |
| them to crawl in and drown. The slugs are | | | | effective home remedy for slugs. Like mixing |
| attracted to the beer and they will crawl into it. | | | | vinegar, ketchup and water or something like that, |
| This method works but is not sufficient for even | | | | but the store bought pet-friendly snail bait has |
| a moderate infestation. | | | | proven to me to be the most effective. |