Ammonia spray is a simple solution. Im hoping youll analyze it for us! Spray WD40 around bases of patio tubs about 2 or 3 inches up sides. It is also called anhydrous ammonia. Support wikiHow by Put in grinder top with water. I expect this would only work with the naturally fallen leaves, rather than the green. No damaged plants and flowers. Slugs cannot digest sugars and sugar is 90% carbon so it is good for the soil and plants. Hi Phil; love all the forwards theyre fun and informative. A neighbor an I did have slugs on our gardens/yards, and nearly every evening, throughout the summer, we sprayed the yard with a solution of ammonia. But Ive decided to take a season or two off of growing my veg because of them and figure out what it is about our wee ecosystem that keeps them so proliferate. The Beer Dish Trap Thanks for sharing Carol. Go out in the evening and spray any mollusks you see on your plants. Metaldehyde is, actually, an organic compound with, very limited effect on Wildlife and IS, usually, applied in pellets of wheat, which IS a bait. You can still buy ordinary ammonia in Australia https://shop.coles.com.au/a/a-national/product/coles-smart-buy-ammonia-cloudy. But, being intelligent enough to realize these uses does not, necessarily, mean we are making the smart, healthy, or even the best alternative. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. High concentrations of this chemical are extremely dangerous, and you should take steps to protect yourself with the proper safety equipment. Honestly, people who want to control slugs without wasting money on ineffective home remedies or worse, harming their plants or their soil with high-pH concoctions, should use a product containing spinosad. Smell is gone by next day. Household ammonia, diluted to a 5 percent to 10 percent concentration, is effective for this purpose. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. I have vegetables and flowers in pots on my patio. Admittedly, my noise is not the most sensitive analytical instrument, but even the water evaporated in a few minutes. Typically, the slug repellent fence runs off a nine-volt battery. How can you recommend the use of chemical baits nowadays !? An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. This powder-like substance or DE is the remains of microscopic creatures and is deadly to other small insects and creatures who come in contact with it. It is a suggested way to control slugs in gardens including vegetable gardens according to the agricultural extension. There is a guy in Switzerland selling snail eggs as caviar if you can believe it. Enjoy! Try baiting the slugs with a dollop of peanut butter surrounded by salt. What does not work is spraying the ground. I know that works with bigger animals, but hadnt heard of that for slugs. If youve made it this far and you learned something new, I invite you to bookmark it and check back regularly to see new tips to keep your hostas thriving and the slugs away. Within a few hours, youll start to see the slugs die. If youre trying to keep the snails away from your flowers, wrap copper strips or copper tape around the bottom of the pots. Its good in the sense that it can eliminate slugs and a few other pests, as well as make a small amount of fertilizer available in the soil. This means that youd add one part ammonia for 4, 9, 10, 16, 18, or 20 parts water. We think they came in from some of the bags of oak leaves we picked up along the street which we used as mulch and compost. Spray all your plants and soil. Sprinkle the grounds on top of the soil youre protecting and watch the slugs run away. During the day, slugs will hide under the covers to avoid sun exposure. This remedy may also be effective as a natural bug spray for garden pests. The percentage of caffeine required in a spray (1 - 2%) is greater than what is found in a cup of coffee (.05 - 07%), so homemade sprays are not as effective. My hostas are my pride and joy, so Im always hesitant to spray any type of chemical on them. In the morning, pick the grapefruit up and get rid of the snails inside. Once youve crushed eggshells into small pieces, place them around any plant, garden, or flower bed you want to keep safe from slug damage. The main difference is that snails have a shell, while slugs dont. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Instead, you want to dilute the ammonia with water, and there are several dilution methods you can try. No more snails! I'm sticking with beer, and so far, it's working quite well. It takes very little. Affiliate Disclaimer: Tipsbulletin.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, Effective Slug Deterrent: Diatomaceous Earth, Natural Slug Repellent: Change Your Watering Schedule, All-Natural Beneficial Insect Slug Repellent, Getting Rid of Slugs using Frogs and Toads, Privacy Policy GDPR Medical Disclaimer DMCA. Yes, and no. Bait and Trap A good point to remember is that to bait gastropods is to attract them - so keep bait and traps a safe distance from any plants you want to protect. She studied Environmental Horticulture at the City College of San Francisco and has over 10 years of experience with Environmental Horticulture. This year I just included pine needles to my arsenal. If you miss them, the ammonia wont kill the eggs and theyll hatch. This year the slugs started again, but MUCH worse, and the beer traps were working but we had to put out so many traps and we were going through a lot of beer. If 5% works, why would anyone recommend 80%? But ammonia can actually be sprayed on your plants (although it generally will evaporate off and won't continue to deter slugs) and will provide a source of nitrogen to your plants when sprayed in the soil. Rain Tree Gardens is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising revenues by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. My husband figured out that it was the yeast in the beer that attracted them into the traps, but it was the alcohol in the beer that killed them once they were in there. It has been said that it contains EDTA and that it is listed as an inert ingredient. Coffee grounds may have mild effects on the health of your garden. Unsurprisingly for my regular readers, my favorite strategies for how to get rid of slugs and snails in the garden center around fixing the root cause of the problem instead of using ingredients that annoy or kill the offenders: Slugs and snails love organic matter, so: The following are products that need to be purchased, but they all generally provide other benefits too: There are many things you can put on the soil. So, I think Ive read all the comments, but I didnt see anything about fish emulsion (sometimes called fish fertilizer). Spinosad is found present in fermentation juices of the soil bacterium Saccharopolyspora spinosa. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,025,048 times. Thanks so much for taking the time to share, Susan, thats great! Baits attract a thing (animal, person, bug, fish, etc) because it smells, looks, etc, attractive. Youll really see this happen if you splash non-diluted ammonia onto the hosta leaves or around the base. Are you ready? Many hosta growers prefer 9 or 10 parts water for the initial dose, and even lighter doses in the summer. Ended up selling the ducks and went back to salting the slugs. Yes, sugar is a good one John. If you have the option, start planting your garden near a frog or toad habitat. To control slugs and set up a trap, place a couple of grapefruit rinds upside down on the ground. Sugar with attract roaches! Rather than letting them take over your beloved garden, take action to eliminate the slugs that are ruining your plants. There are lots of people here who use ammonia and water at between 10 and 15%. A good old fashioned approach to getting them one at a time. Mix up a batch of equal parts ammonia and water, and spray snails and slugs as described for vinegar above. We hope you enjoyed reading our natural snail repellent tip guide. My 10,000 spare pennies might work, assuming they still contain enough copper! Especially the ones that slugs love. Twice per week pick them off and give them to the chickens. I have no doubt this works. LOL Once you spot the slugs chewing away at your plants, sprinkle some salt on them, and theyll die almost immediately. Thanks John. For example: use diluted ammonia (5 to 10% solution) , which comes from a government site. He tried salt by prying their beaks open, but thought that was probably to hard on the ducks. https://www.pesticideresearch.com/site/pri-resource-centers/pest-mgmt/pest-mgmt-bulletins/snail-and-slug-control-draft/. I did not put a big barrier around anything but just lightly spread it on the ground where there was a problem. There is some controversy about whether iron phosphate pellets actually contain an ingredient that makes a toxic combination when applied. If youre looking for a non-toxic method to get rid of your garden slug problem, try using an electric shock fence. Blessings. Too bad you did not read the article. Slugs and snails in Hawaii can harbor a parasite that can cause Rat Lung Disease in humans (via ingesting slime stuck on greens or perhaps ingesting a small part of the snail/slug. Im using them on my pathways and have avoided having any slugs on them. And it is approved for organic use! {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/98\/Get-Rid-of-Garden-Slugs-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-Rid-of-Garden-Slugs-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/98\/Get-Rid-of-Garden-Slugs-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/aid2449-v4-728px-Get-Rid-of-Garden-Slugs-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"