On Getting Slugged

I don’t know about your garden, but mine has been invaded by an army of slugs and snails this summer and I am about at my wits end getting rid of them. I had thought with a dry-ish spring and summer, the slugs would be less evident. Alas, this doesn’t seem to be the case.

I don’t like to use a lot of chemicals in my garden if I don’t have to, so my tactic in the past has been to go “slug hunting” late in the evening with a flashlight or getting grandson Charlie – when he is in town – to help in the early morning. We collect them – always wearing gloves – and put them into a lidded container for disposal in the garbage. I have usually been able to stave off most of the invasion this way, but this year, slugs and snails have been so prolific that they are everywhere I turn and I can’t get ahead of them.

I also have a unique problem using slug bait because my dog will eat anything disgusting she can find in the yard, including slug baits. Because baits that contain Metaldehyde can be lethal to pets and children, that avenue is removed. In the Oregon State University’s Integrated Pest Management Handbook it states that “Metaldehyde baits probably account for the most accidental poisoning deaths of dogs in the Pacific Northwest.” A few years ago, I thought I would be clever and hide the Metaldehyde in plastic tubs with lids that were planted in the garden. I cut a few holes in the sides so the slugs could get in and was pretty confident that would be safe from the dog. Imagine my chagrin when I let her in the yard and she made a beeline for the first tub she could smell and had it dug out of the ground and was prying the lid off in a matter of seconds. It was only through my quick action that I still have a healthy dog.

I have traditionally found iron phosphate to be less effective, but I was going to try it in desperation until I realized the brand available was in pellet form that Doggie Dear could just gobble up without problem. Even if iron phosphate is considered to be safe around pets and children, I am not sure that would be the case if it was digested in mass.

Beer doesn’t work for me for the same reason. Slugs love the yeast in beer but so do dogs. Besides, why waste good beer on slugs? I have also put them into a bucket of soapy water, but that involves disposing of a bucket of soapy water with dead slugs in it.

Stepping on slugs as I walk by doesn’t really help either because slugs are cannibalistic and gather to feed off their dead brethren. Now this may sound like a good way to bait for them, but scooping a pile of live slugs off dead slugs isn’t very appetizing, although it can be effective. I rate this a ten on the “Eeeww… Gross Scale.”

I remember reading a British gardening magazine a few years ago and apparently in the issue before the one I was reading, a columnist had asked their readers to write in about their worst garden pest. The editors were astonished at how normally kind and calm gardeners became mean and vengeful when dealing with slugs and took great delight in the demise of these slimy creatures. While the article gave me a chuckle, it also made me realize I am not the only one who sees no value in slugs. I know they are supposed to be food for snakes and birds, but most slug activity is at night and I very rarely see a bird or a snake out after dark. So what is the purpose of slugs, I wonder? All they seem to do is convert my hosta to the lace-leaf variety.

I have had success in the past with used coffee grounds. The slugs don't like the caffeine nor the grittiness of the grounds, so they stay away. Since I am a tea drinker, I no longer have access to daily coffee. Perhaps I could try used tea bags…. Just a thought.

A friend also suggested placing holly leaves around the hosta to deter slugs as they have sharp edges that would deter slugs. I am trying that tactic this summer, so I will have to let you know.

If you have any helpful tips or successes in deterring slugs and snails, please add them in the comments and I will share them.