this post was submitted on 04 Sep 2024
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Nature and Gardening

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So i have a problem with slugs in the garden. They eat everything, and every night i cut around fifty slugs, to prevent thoese to get eggs and make more slugs . BUT, i see the same slugs i cut in half in the compost heap, and doing a great job,getting our waste in the best dirt for the garden. What would you do? Still cut those,or just leave them?

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[–] memfree@beehaw.org 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Save your egg shells until they are dried out (microwave if you are in a hurry) and give them a quick buzz in the blender or food processor. This should give you a gritty powder that will hurt the slugs, thereby discouraging them from going wherever they find it. Diatomaceous earth would also work (probably better, but that's be a purchase instead of a freebie). Dust the plants with either and circle them with a large fat ring of the powder.

My grandma would have said to put out beer traps, but my understanding is that such traps need to be situated well enough to drown the slugs because otherwise they will escape.

Edit: here you go! https://www.learningwithexperts.com/gardening/blog/organic-slugs-snails-control

[–] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm nobody's grandma, and I had a slug invasion a few years back. I did the eggshell thing. I did sluggo (a product). And I did the Extended Octoberfest in my back yard for a nearly consistent 3 years. I think the beer traps worked best, but it was an all out throw everything at them kind of operation. The eggs can last 3 years in the soil. I understand that ducks may have also been helpful. I succeeded, the slugs are gone for at least the last 2 years. You can do it. The only thing is you need to be more persistent than the slugs.

[–] memfree@beehaw.org 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I used to have ducks. They LOVE eating slugs. Alas, they also love eating gardens. ;-)

[–] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 8 points 1 week ago

Folks suggested ducks or chickens, but that didn't seem like a good idea in my little back garden.

[–] storksforlegs@beehaw.org 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I read somewhere that bread dough is even more of a lure than beer for traps, that might be worth a try also

I found this recipe for dough "slurry" for trapping slugs: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gallery/how-create-slug-trap-using-bread-dough-slurry