Physical Remedies
Slug traps
Effective Against:
Slugs, snails
Crops:
Any susceptible crops that can be surrounded by the barrier; slug prone crops include tender leafy greens, strawberries, dahlias, hosta, and marigolds, among others.
Counteracts these pest(s):
When To Use:
All year round.
How To Use:
There are a variety of homemade slug traps. Here are two easy ones:
- Use covered plastic containers such as yogurt or margarine tubs baited with fresh beer or a solution of sugar water and yeast. Sink them in the ground, leaving one inch of rim exposed. (Don't set them even with the soil, or you will attract and kill beneficial ground beetles.) Renew every three to four days.
-
Elevate a wide plank or piece of plywood
about an inch off the ground and set it in an infested
area. Slugs will hide under the board during the day
and can be killed at night. If you squash a slug or
snail on the board's bottom side, it will attract other
slugs and snails.