21 Pro Step To Kill Slugs | How To Stop Slugs Eating Plants?

Don’t slugs look really cute?

However, this nifty little creature poses a threat for wild beasts as they have a highly toxic ingredient named “metaldehyde.” Unfortunately, it can become harmful even for plants too. If you don’t take fast action, it may damage your favorite plants.

So, how to stop slugs eating plants?

The best possible method to stop slugs from eating your plants is using a natural snail repellent. These natural repellents will prevent slugs from chewing your plant leaves and won’t allow them to leave silver slime on the plants.

However, a lot of ways are available to stop slugs from consuming plants. Here we are mentioning some popular and natural ways to deal with them. Let’s dive in!

What Does Slug Damage Look Like?

Before knowing how to stop slugs eating plants in pots, you should know what does slug damage look like.

When slugs eat your plant, you will notice some unnatural holes or ragged edges on their leaves. In fact, they are so powerful sometimes they can eat quickly from the plants, and your plant will die after a particular time.

In addition, slugs love to eat fruits and veggies straight from the plants. You will notice round holes in the fruits or vegetables when they have eaten. They also eat tiny-sized plants and seedlings from eating a single stem to vanish them completely.

So, you should know how to stop slugs eating plant leaves and take protective measures as early as possible.

How To Stop Slugs Eating Plants

1. Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous Earth is one of the finest ways you can control slugs. It is a non-toxic ingredient, which can manage different types of pests that come close to plants.

When you spilled the powder on the plant’s surrounding area, intense dehydration occurs, stopping slugs from eating your plants.

However, you need to know how to stop slugs eating plants when using Diatomaceous Earth. Unless you follow the right way to apply the powder, it won’t be much effective.

While splitting the powder, make sure you apply them on the sideways of paths and also the garden beds. As a result, it will stop slugs from reaching even close to the plants.

Additionally, it is also a better idea to apply the powder on the stems and leaves of plants where it is already getting affected or has the probability get affected.

If you see any slugs, don’t just wait; split the powder right away. Also, make sure you water the plant properly before applying Diatomaceous Earth. Besides, try to clean the plant leaves appropriately so that the powder will stick on the surface for a long time.

2. Crushed Egg Shell

When you are looking for ways on how to stop slugs eating plants naturally, crushed eggshells are a practical solution you can try.

Though eggshells have a delicate body, they are pretty abrasive in nature. Therefore, it is easy for them to track down slugs when they come close to the broken eggshells.

However, we will suggest you not expect the same effective result similar to Diatomaceous Earth. Besides, eggshells provide a decent amount of nutrition for plants, such as calcium and potassium.

Furthermore, you need to follow an effective way to prepare the eggshells for plants.

• Try to choose eggshells, which are clean and fully dry.
• Then add 10-20 eggshells on a thoroughly boiled gallon of water.
• Keep the eggshells in the water for the whole night and strain them the following day.
• After straining the crushed eggshell, pour them on the plants’ areas and sideways immediately.

Better you avoid these hassle and try the product you recommended above.

3. Beer Traps

How will you respond if we tell you that you can stop slugs eating plants by using beer? Many garden experts often suggest newbies who are wondering how to stop slugs eating plants in garden.

Beer seems to be a favorite of slugs, and many gardeners often use this home remedy to deal with slugs.

So, why slugs get trap while consuming beer? Right?

Most beers contain a certain gas, named “fermentation,” which traps them. When they consume it too much, they gradually die.

But, the question is, which type of beer will be the best option for killing slugs?

Generally, Guinness and ales are the most preferred option, according to many gardeners. However, if neither of them is present, you can use homebrew or any typical beer.

Make a hole near the plant where it is affected. Then, fill the container with a different types of recycled things. Then, pour the kind of beer you have.

Once you pour the beer into the affected plant, you will notice the slugs start coming due to their pungent smell. Due to the inclusion of yeast in beer, slugs get bewildered and trap inside the hole.

4. Slug Gone

If you are wondering how to stop slugs eating plants in pots, Slug Gone is an effective solution. The manufacturing company uses wool pellets to make this product.

According to the manufacturer, it is a 100% natural and biodegradable solution to prevent slugs from coming to your garden plants.

If you are an organic gardener, you won’t mind using this product as 100% wool is used to make it. More importantly, it is an authentic product, and the Soil Association has approved it as a safe for plants.

Therefore, it won’t harm the garden soil quality. You are free to use the solution in place of your garden for your fruits and vegetable plants.

Apart from that, you won’t have to worry why using it on garden plants because it doesn’t contain any chemical or toxic content. Besides, it will not pose any threat to wildlife or prevent them from coming to your beautiful garden.

Using the product for your plant is pretty simple — all you need to apply some solutions around the plants and add some water. An additional layer of protection is created, and it will prevent plants from coming close to the plants.

Aside from dealing with slugs, this solution helps decrease weeds, hold moisture, and coincidentally decline water vaporisation in the sun.

Furthermore, both the soil and plants will benefit from having highly nutritious ingredients such as potassium, nitrogen, and sulfur. So much benefit!

When you are hovering over how to stop slugs eating plants in the USA, you can pick this solution as readily from this article.

5. Grapefruit Trap

When you want to know how to stop slugs eating plants in the garden, why not try a handy solution? Wondering what the convenient solution is? Well, it is nothing but adding some empty grapefruit rinds close to the plants. You can trap slugs using grapefruit as they are fond of citrus.

While putting grapefruit rinds close to the plants, ensure there is sufficient space to allow slugs to come. When they come close to the food, they will consume it and try to hide inside it. Let them stay inside it throughout the night and dispose of them in the early morning.

6. Manage Few Ducks Or Chickens

When you want to know how to stop slugs eating plants naturally, some chickens or ducks can be a perfect solution. In fact, most ducks and chickens love to consume slugs.

They work as natural predators for slugs. Most chickens and ducks who roam freely don’t like to eat regular grass. Instead, they prefer something tasty and nutritious to eat.

That’s why slugs could be a better meal for them. First, however, you want to ensure they don’t choke while eating them.

Nevertheless, all people may not have sufficient space to raise these birds. In that case, you want to keep some valuable insects to deal with slugs. Apart from killing slugs, they will also eliminate some other harmful bugs.

Best Baby Chicken and Duck Supplier in USA.

7. Infuse Your Soil With Chopped Mint

If you are thinking of adding some plants that can grow quickly, you can’t overlook mints. Adding some chopped mints around the plants will prevent slugs from attacking or eating the plants.

Slugs will back away due to the strong smell of mint. This is more effective if you have flower plants. As a result, it will be a better combination of the sweet fragrance of flowers and the fresh smell of mints.

8. Put Up Thyme Or Rosemary Plants Around

Like mints, slugs also don’t like thyme or rosemary plants as these plants have rich smells. When you want to ward off slugs, thyme and rosemary plants can be a great option to consider.

However, you want to plant them in a strategic location so that slugs can’t come close to your desired plants. Plus, take care of these plants appropriately and water them in the right amount at the right time every day.

The rewards will be immense if you take good care of them. When you look for how to stop slugs eating plants naturally, it is an easy yet effective method you can apply. As a bonus, you can collect some herbs for cooking.

9. Put Some Salts On Slugs

If you are looking for a simple way on how to stop slugs eating plants, you can use some table salts on them. Slugs have a sensitive body as most of their bodies are soft and moist-type. They may work effectively by dewatering them. The salt will ultimately take moisture from their bodies.

Carefully pour some salts on the body parts of slugs and watch out how they react. However, you want to be a little bit extra careful while using salts in your garden. Putting an excessive amount of soil on the plants may damage the plants.

Additionally, you don’t to spilled salts on the soil surface too. It may damage the soil quality, which contains many nutrition-based ingredients as a healthy fertilizer. That’s why you want to give some extra effort while pouring salt on the slug’s body. Try to avoid splitting salts in other spots.

10. Keep Some Seaweed In The Soil

When an ocean beach is near your home, collecting some seaweed seems easy for you. You can use seaweed like an obstruction for slugs. They contain an iodine smell and salt content.

Add some seaweed in the soil close to the plants. However, make sure they don’t touch the plant stems to avoid harming them.

Moreover, seaweed contains many beneficial ingredients for soil, which you will not find even in fertilizer, making the soil fertile and healthy.

Add the seaweed to the topsoil surface, mix them with soil moderately, and make a top layer like mulch. Due to the mulch-like structure, slugs will find it hard to get close to the plants.

After creating the mulch, you can keep the remaining mixture for the compost pile as it will be beneficial for any plants. Or, you can store it safely so that you can add it on the top surface when it becomes lower.

11. Avoid Watering In The Evening

Wondering how to stop slugs eating plants in garden?

Slugs love to explore in high moisture level environments. That’s why they are more active during the night than in the daytime.

This slimy creature thinks they found the heaven to roam around when you water your plants in the evening. Watering plants in the evening doesn’t take away the water as fast as daytime.

So, you are giving them more scope to attack your plants. As a result, you will notice the change in the leaves of your plants.

Alternatively, when you water the plant in the morning, your plants will become dry due to the sunlight and water consumption. Therefore, they won’t be more attracted to the plants as they are dry.

12. Remove Them Manually

Removing slugs manually means you get off them directly with your hands. However, following this method seems time-consuming. You need someone (kids/partner/friends) to help you get rid of quickly.

It is a more convenient way for your kids because they will take it as a fun activity while keeping their playing space safe from pesticides.

If you are okay with the method, you should prepare yourself to get them at night. Use a flashlight to find out them more easily at night from shrubs and other spots of the garden. Make sure to wash off your hands properly with a hand wash after completing the task.

However, if you don’t want to take the hassle, you can contact a professional service to get rid of slugs from your garden.

13. Use Copper Tape

Copper is too conductive for slugs to pass. Using a ring for each plant is a better idea, though. But, compared to ground plants, pot plants are protected if you use a ring.

When you set up a ring around the pot plant, slugs will struggle to get close to the plants. However, remember this method is more effective for small plants.

When the plant leaves become large and grow widely, slugs can come from other plants and contact other plants to the particular plant.

14. Use Garlic

Different gardeners get success by using other things as a slug repellent. For example, some gardeners got effective results by keeping some garlic bulbs close to the plants because they contain Allicin is a defense compound, which can harm and kills slugs.

15. Wheat Bran/Corn Bran

Many slugs love to eat pint-sized piles of corn or wheat bran. Eating this food in massive amounts will make them sick, and they will ultimately die.

As they are entirely natural, the plants will not suffer from their presence. In addition, it is a way for wildlife to get extra nutrients if it eats corpses.

Many gardeners have used this method as it is hassle-free and entirely organic. However, as slugs are more active in high moisture weather, rainy weather calls for periodic replenishment.

16. Plants Your Plants Near Pond

Slugs are always afraid of newts and frogs as they often eat slugs. Planting your favorite plants near a pond gives you a bonus to keep your plant risk-free from slugs.

17. Repelling Plants

Though it may seem odd, many plants work like repellent for slugs. So, it will be best for your plants to add some repelling plants close to them to prevent slugs from coming close to them. Some of them:

18. Pellets for Slugs and Snails

A number of pellets give more effective results than others. Though some work effectively for slugs, they can pose severe damage to the environment and wildlife. That’s why you may never want to use them.

When you want to know how to stop slugs eating plants, you should consider these points. For example, metaldehyde is one of the most poisonous ingredients you can use for slugs. It will kill them immediately, just like killing dogs, cats, and even birds.

However, you will also find some natural pellets, which will not cause any harm to wildlife and the environment. Among them, ferric phosphate is the most effective when you are looking for ways on how to stop slugs eating plants naturally.

Growing success is another famous brand, which has a unique formula to kill only slugs and snails. Most importantly, they sell authentic products, ensuring more reliability and safety for your plants.

19. Caffeine

People from the US Department of Agriculture, who were wondering how to stop slugs eating plants in USA, had used caffeine solutions to treat slugs. They have succeeded to kills almost 95% of slugs from the caffeine solution.

Most importantly, they also prevent slugs from coming in the future for a prolonged time. In addition, when you apply the caffeine solution to your plant leaves and areas, it doesn’t cause any damage to your plants.

20. Set Up A Slug Fence

Many people who want to know how to stop slug eating plants in Australia often suggested setting up a slug fence. Wondering why?

It is super easy to arrange for an electric fence for slugs. You can get enough idea to make an Electric Garden Slug Fence.

After making the electric fence, keep it around the plants to save them from slugs. As it is a low bolt electric fence, it will not pose any threat to humans and pets.

21. Slug Nematodes

Wondering how to stop slugs eating plants in the most effective way?

When it comes to controlling slugs, nematodes are one of the most highly impactful methods. But, you can’t kill ground slugs with slug nematodes as they only inhabit the soil.

First of all, you need to create a favorable environment for Nematodes close to your plants. You want to make the soil moist by watering it more. Nematodes are required to keep on the soil surface at least for 2-3 weeks to thrive freely.

Try to keep the soil surface temperature close to 5oF (10OC). Slugs will be more attracted and find it easy to eat nematodes.

After consuming nematodes, you will notice their stomach and body expand abnormally, making them uncomfortable. After a few days, they won’t eat anything and ultimately die within 1-2 weeks.

Here one thing you should noted that most experts recommend using this method only for edible plants. Also, the people who will eat plants foods should have no health issues such as weak immune system.

How To Stop Slugs Eating Plants Without Killing Them?

Some gardeners may be interested to know how to stop slugs eating plants without killing them. In that case, you want to trap them in an empty stockpot or medium-sized container. If the container is deep, dark, and a little bit wet, it will be a bonus to trap them.

You will keep some foods inside the containers, which slugs love most to eat. For example, you can keep grapefruits, cabbage leaves, kohlrabi leaves, young parsley, etc.

After putting their favorite food inside the container, keep the container in a place where they are likely to come. They should come to the container when they notice the food, and finally, you can trap them while they are eating them.

Either you dispose of them in a field far away from your garden or dispose of them in the dustbin along with the container. So this is a trouble-free and easy way on how to stop slugs eating plants without killing them.

How To Prevent Slugs From Coming? Step by Step Guide

Apart from knowing how to stop slugs eating plants in pots, it is a better option if you know how to prevent slugs from coming. Knowing how to prevent slugs from coming into your garden or plant pots will help keep the plants safe.

Step 1 – A Full Cleanup In Early Spring

Though cleaning up your garden is essential from time to time, you want to complete cleanup in the early spring to ward off moist debris.

The more moist waste you have in your garden, the more chance your plants have to get attacked by slugs. Also, make sure you don’t give any scope to soil-borne eggs.

Step 2 – Water Only When Needed

Some over-caring gardeners think their plants always need water. But they don’t know it may affect their plants negatively apart from attracting slugs to come.

Plants only need water when they become dehydrated or when their upper soil surface lack moisture. Overwatering them will make the soil too wet, which will ultimately attract slugs to come.

Step 3 – Keep Natural Predators In Your Garden

One of the most effective ways to deal with slugs is keeping natural predators around the plants. We have already mentioned several natural predators above; you can check them out.

Step 4 – Make Lightweight Mulch

Some gardeners believe heavy mulches will provide added protection for their plants. However, they might be forgotten how to stop slugs eating plants without heavy mulches. Heavy mulches are preferable to slugs as they can roam freely from ground to plant leaves easily.

Instead, try to make lightweight mulches for your plants, especially in the slug-infested spots. It will prevent slugs from coming close to your favorite plants.

Step 5 – Tilling Or Turning The Soil

When the fall season comes, you should turn or till the soil to uncover slugs and their eggs quickly. Then, the moment you find them, take all the required actions to dispose of or kill them.

However, you can use the best pesticide to kill the slugs eggs which is an easier way to get rid of slugs forever. Ortho Home Defense Max Bed Bug, Flea and Tick Killer is the best one available in the market to kill insects, specially the eggs of the bugs.

Final Thought

A lot of ways are available to deal with slugs. But you must ensure how to stop slugs eating plants effectively regardless of the method you follow.

So, you must be wondering which method you should follow? Right? It depends on your garden conditions, the area you live in, which method you feel the more comfortable following, and many other things.

If you have a limited budget, you can follow natural ways to stop slugs eating plants. However, they may a little bit more time compared to immediate solutions.

If you want a fast and effective solution within a short time, you can purchase Diatomaceous Earth or Slug Gone solution. Slugs can be easily defeated with these solutions, though they are a bit expensive.

Hopefully, you have learned how to stop slugs eating plant leaves. As we also discussed how to prevent slugs from coming into your plants, make sure you follow them. Happy gardening!

Last update on 2023-01-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API