What should I use as a natural deterrent to keep slugs off and away from my property?

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Hi. I don't like slugs. I can't stand them. After it rains there's a bunch of them on the steps to the back porch of my home and on the ground that leads to my driveway and on the driveway.

What should I use as a natural deterrent to keep slugs off and away from my property when it's raining and after it rains? Is there something I can put on my steps and on the ground near my home that won't wash away in the rain?

I don't want to use salt. Salt will make the slugs explode and that will cause a big mess. I don't want to use harsh chemicals, that may cause the wood that the steps to my back porch are made out of to corrode.

Slugs only generally come out when it's wet outside.

Please help. Thank you.

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Type: Question • Score: 10 • Views: 3,119 • Replies: 39

[+3] - Tai Chi - 07/04/2020Skunks love slugs. You need a skunk.

Put the slugs in the dirt and stomp them.

2 Replies

@edgarblythe,

I don't want to touch them.

0 Replies

@JGoldman10,

JGoldman10 wrote:

Hi. I don't like slugs. I can't stand them. After it rains there's a bunch of them on the steps to the back porch of my home and on the ground that leads to my driveway and on the driveway.

What should I use as a natural deterrent to keep slugs off and away from my property when it's raining and after it rains? Is there something I can put on my steps and on the ground near my home that won't wash away in the rain?

I don't want to use salt. Salt will make the slugs explode and that will cause a big mess. I don't want to use harsh chemicals, that may cause the wood that the steps to my back porch are made out of to corrode.

Slugs only generally come out when it's wet outside and they gravitate towards wet areas.

Please help. Thank you.

-FIXED.

0 Replies

I read somewhere that you can use copper tape, but is copper tape water-resistant?

2 Replies

@JGoldman10,

Try a flat beer in a shallow bowl. Place a tin (Pie plate) about an inch above soil level every few feet. Most will sip it and take off. A few will sip it and drown. Harmless otherwise.

1 Reply

I don't know why slugs come out of the ground and gravitate towards wet areas anyway after it rains. Dirt gets wet after it rains- why do they find it necessary to come out of it? Why don't they stay in it?

Slugs seem to have some kind of intuition that leads them to recede back into the ground after the sun comes out and evaporates all the moisture.

2 Replies

@Ragman,

I don't drink booze. What's that going to do? Does the beer have to be alcoholic?

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

They’re just being sluggish.

0 Replies

@JGoldman10,

The attraction is Not the alcohol. It’s the yeast. They’ll drink it and slip and drown. You need flat beer or non-alcoholic beer. You don’t need to drink it to obtain it.
You can use anything that would have yeast in a liquid form. Use your creativity.

You can choose to follow the hints offered or not. Your choice. It’s all the same to me.

1 Reply

@Ragman,

I could just buy some yeast, mix it with water and put the solution in a container outside of my home.

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

That is exactly what I wrote. You seem to have reading comprehension issues.

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

Quote:

...use copper tape...
...is copper tape water resistant?

You mean the yellow crime scene tape that cops use? That would seem extreme to be calling the police in on this.

Perhaps your religious or spiritual advisor can give you guidance on this matter.

....just do not harm or kill the slugs, as they are creatures created by God.

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@JGoldman10,

Slugs need cool temps and more than that, they need moisture to survive. Many creatures make their appearance after rain. Snails, worms, slugs...

0 Replies

@Ragman,

There's nothing wrong with my reading comprehension.

0 Replies

@edgarblythe,

What would happen if I used baking soda or baking powder on slugs?

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

Try the IGNORE function. Works for me.

0 Replies

@JGoldman10,

Go outside with a pair of scissors and snip the slugs in half. Honestly, if you do this persistently you can make a big dent in the local slug population. It's gruesome but effective. The carcasses will dry up and disappear in no time.

There are commercial slug baits which you can use to protect individual plants but broadcasting these slug pellets over a wide area might not be be that effective. It would usually just be sprinkled in a garden bed. Look for slug baits which contain "Iron Phosphate" — it's non-toxic.

Another product is "diatomaceous earth", a fine powder made from pulverized rock. They don't like to crawl through this stuff. It's also non-toxic.

0 Replies

Egg shell and coffee grounds.

0 Replies

@JGoldman10,

A mixture of citric acid and water painted around the perimeter might be effective. It’s invisible and harmless.

It works to keep ants & other bugs away from hot tubs anyway.

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What should I use as a natural deterrent to keep slugs off and away from my property?

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