How to Get Rid of Slugs

Slugs can destroy a crop you've worked on for weeks in a single night. How to get rid of them once and for all without ruining the rest of the garden? We've prepared an overview of all available methods, from natural approaches to proven products.

Slugs occur in practically every garden. The most damaging is the Spanish slug (Arion vulgaris), a species that spread to us from Western Europe and in recent years has become a nightmare for growers. Slugs hide in damp shelters during the day and only go out for food after dark. They are omnivores, but they prefer young, juicy parts of plants. Slugs therefore often feed in spring on freshly sprouted lettuce shoots, strawberries, courgettes or tomatoes, but they will also eat annual plants, herbs or flowers. Slugs prefer moist and warm environments and are most active on nights after rain or after watering the garden. This pest reproduces very quickly and a single slug can lay hundreds of eggs during a season. Due to a lack of natural enemies, slugs spread incredibly fast, and if you don't want to lose your crop, it's wise to protect it with all available methods.

Slug prevention

As with all pests, prevention is always easier than eradication. Slugs prefer environments full of damp spots where they can hide from sun and dryness. If you arrange the garden to minimize such conditions, you will significantly reduce the risk of infestation.

The basis is keeping beds clean. Regularly remove weeds, fallen leaves and other debris. Water in the morning rather than in the evening so the soil isn't attractive to slugs overnight. Growing in raised beds or pots with a protective edge is excellent prevention. If you mulch, choose straw rather than wood chips, which makes movement harder for slugs.

• Regularly remove weeds, fallen leaves and dead plant parts from the garden.
• Water in the morning so the soil isn't damp overnight.
• Use raised beds or window boxes.

Mechanical methods for removing slugs

Mechanical removal is fairly effective for slugs—at least if the infestation hasn't reached biblical proportions. You can pick slugs by hand; it's easiest with a headlamp after dusk. You can also place mechanical beer traps around plants, which attract slugs. The key to success in "slug hunting" is regularity. If you go out to the garden every evening, you should be able to reduce their numbers to a tolerable level.

• Collect slugs early in the evening or in the morning.
• Place slug traps around beds.
• Remove slugs from the garden every day to reduce their population.

Natural repellents and barriers against slugs

If you want to get rid of slugs without chemicals, you can try ecological measures such as sand, sawdust or copper tape. Taken alone these methods won't be 100% effective, but combined with mechanical removal and prevention they can save your garden from a slug disaster.

• Wrap the rims of pots and raised beds with copper tape, which slugs cannot climb over.
• Scatter sand, ash or sawdust around plants to dry out the slugs' mucus.
• Plant at the edges of beds plants that slugs dislike, such as garlic, thyme or lavender.

Proven remedies against slugs

It may happen that the above methods are not enough and you have to reach for modern slug products. These are mostly slug pellets that are very effective, though some types can be toxic to pets. Gentler measures, such as parasitic nematodes, can also significantly reduce the slug population in the garden.

• Use non-toxic slug pellets based on iron.
• You can also use biological control against slugs in the form of nematodes of the genus Phasmarhabditis.

Finally, we must mention the natural enemies of slugs, such as hedgehogs, frogs, birds or slow worms. You may have limited influence on the presence of these animals in your garden, but at least you can strive to create a clean and non-toxic environment where they will thrive. You can also use Indian Runner ducks, which specialize in hunting slugs.

Looking for more useful tips for outdoor and indoor growers? Visit the Higarden blog, where you will find verified information and guides for both beginner and experienced growers.