I’ve always used beer in jar tops to attract snails/slugs & it’s worked for me..
A homesteader I follow has this article on getting rid of garden pests ... she is in WAshington State & evidently, there are a lot of slugs in that area.
How to Get Rid of Bugs on Plants Naturally Tips that Actually Work
https://melissaknorris.com/podcast/how-to-get-rid-of-bugs-on-plants-naturally/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From link:
+ How to Get Rid of Slugs in the Garden =
There’s nothing worse than coming out to the garden and seeing a slimy trail all over your decimated vegetable plants. Slugs and snails can strip a plant almost overnight. Plants susceptible to slugs are broccoli, cauliflower, and lettuce. They will occasionally go after other plants, but these seem to be the ones hardest hit in my garden.
Contrary to popular advice, eggshells do not deter slugs. Supposedly the crushed eggshells will cut the slug or snail if they crawl on them, but this is false. The edges aren’t sharp enough and this has never worked for me.
+ Don’t Use Salt In Your Vegetable Garden +
Salt will kill slugs but I’m not going to be sprinkling salt all over my soil or on my growing vegetable plants. Salt will ruin your soil, causing a salinity build-up, so if you use it, only sprinkle directly on the slugs.
Personally, I’d rather save my salt and have found other methods to be more effective.
+ 4 Surefire Method to Kill Slugs +
Hand-picking: One of the options that’s a surefire method is one I do early in the morning. You can wear gloves but to be honest, I don’t. I just pick the slugs off and put them in a cup or bucket of soapy water.
You must use soap because slugs won’t drown in just water. You have to have at least a couple squirts of dish soap in there to kill them otherwise they just crawl back out. Trust me on this one.
I have no problem killing slugs. I only kill the ones that are in my garden. I don’t relocate them because they will breed.
You can see this in action in this YouTube video [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg7NhGFfXDs ]. Many people commented on the size of my slugs. I guess it’s a Pacific Northwest thing. It’s just a normal size for us.
Diatomaceous Earth (DE): When we’re not getting rain I will use Organic Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth Powder. Unlike eggshells, food-grade diatomaceous earth does work, provided it doesn’t get wet. I can’t use it when it’s raining or when we have heavy dew. Sprinkle it on top of the heads of cauliflower and broccoli and around the base of the plant.
Copper Tape: This will work, but if you have very big beds or garden, it’s going to get costly.
Beer: Cheap beer works just as well as expensive beer. You’ll need a shallow dish, like a Frisbee upside down. Pour the beer in the dish. The slugs will crawl in there and die. They’re attracted to the beer and it kills them. Works very well. The only thing is that you have to replace it with fresh beer and empty the dishes out every day or two.
Between the beer traps, DE, and handpicking I get lovely huge heads of cauliflower and broccoli and keep the slugs out of my lettuce.
I use crushed oyster shells to protect young plants from slugs and snails. I buy it from a local farm store...
THANK YOU ALL for the slug advice!
It has been raining thundering and just storming here so DE is pretty much useless right now. I’m going to look for the snail bait the next time I’m in town.
I’ve spent the day hunting for slugs and drowning them in soapy water. YUK!! I should have weighed how much I had picked LOL. They were everywhere! even under flower pots and in those bottom holes.
I’m wondering if they were brought here from where I bought plants or from the soil I had bought this year. Never had this problem before. I’m shocked.
Qiviut, that’s a wonderful video! Thank you!