Slugs are a problem for many gardeners, but here in Hawaii they’re an exceptional problem. Not only do they damage crops, they transmit something called rat lung disease. It’s a rare* disease and one that is still being studied, but the general consensus is that accidental ingestion of tiny slugs (ick!) is bad, as is ingesting raw produce that’s been slimed by slugs. I’ve been working on a “slug protocol” that will rid the garden of these slimy pests without the added risk of poisons.
- While it doesn’t eliminate the slugs, I start by growing my lettuce in containers – often hanging containers – to keep slugs off the salad greens we eat raw.
- I’ve started going on weekly slug hunts. (Psst! Hey, who’s the nut job out there in pajamas wearing a headlamp??) No, it’s not glamorous. In fact, it’s pretty gross. But since I’ve implemented this plan I’ve seen a huge reduction in how many slugs I catch in a night. I go out after dark with the aforementioned headlamp (PJs optional), a container with about an inch of either vinegar or salt in the bottom, and wooden chopsticks. As I spot slugs, I use the chopsticks to pick them up and drop them in the container. When I first started doing this, I’d pull 30-40 slugs out of the yard in half an hour. Now, it’s more like 10-12. Plus? Picking up slimy slugs with chopsticks is great practice for my next Chinese dining experience.
Can you spot three slugs? The one in the center is about 3″ long.
- I’ve noticed that there are certain kinds of plant debris that really attracts slugs. The pink hibiscus blossoms seen above are like a 5-star buffet to my slugs, so I’ve taken to piling them in one place and waiting for the pests to move in. I’ve had success with eggplant, too. I understand a cut potato or citrus will draw them in as well, but you’ll likely need to experiment to see what draws slugs in your garden. Once the slugs have congregated on the materials, I use the chopsticks to remove them, leaving the bait behind. If you’re more squeamish you could pick up the entire slug covered mess and toss it.
- I keep my eyes open for snail eggs when I’m working in the yard. If I can eliminate the slugs before they hatch, all the better. I usually find them when I’m weeding in an area with lots of debris.
This mass of slug eggs is almost as big as a ping pong ball.
- I use Worry Free Slug and Snail Bait on a limited basis, right around the perimeter of my vegetable garden. This particular bait is made of iron phosphate and is considered safe around pets and children. According to this site, “once a snail or slug eats the bait, the iron phosphate triggers changes in the pests that make them stop feeding.” Within a day or two of sprinkling the bait, I start seeing dry, dead slugs on the ground. The product I’m using comes in a cardboard box, though it looks like the company has switched to plastic. Sluggo is another iron phosphate slug bait that comes with less plastic in the packaging.
What hasn’t worked for me:
- Chickens. My girls won’t touch ‘em.
- Beer. Throw a slug party and one or two might show up, but I have much more success with my slug hunting method.
- Physical barriers. I’ve yet to find anything that a slug won’t crawl over to get dinner.
*Rat lung disease is (so far) only found in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Have you tried a salt perimeter? I used to do that with a snail problem I had in California.
I’ve not tried salt. Did it work for you? Rock salt or table salt?
No! Rock salt or table salt? I’ll have to see if I could try that – my garden is kind of squeezed in between other plantings and I’d be concerned that the salt would kill plants, too.
Kris, that is almost the same method I use…I don’t go out at night, but usually just as dawn is breaking. I have a plastic gallon milk jug that I cut the top off but leave the handle and instead of vinegar and or salt, I use Clorox (kills them instantly on impact) and I do use the chopsticks…for a while, I’ll go out every morning for several days…then I can wait several days before going back out and start my cycle over. I find it is a sure fire method to control them.
As you say, the beer doesn’t work and we don’t have chickens so not sure if they would eat them, but I know that some chickens will. I guess it might depend on the type of slugs.
Oh that turned my stomach (said the girl who has no problem eviscerating a chicken). That picture was disgusting. What about diatomaceous earth? Egg shells? I’ve not dealt with slugs but they gross. me. out.
@AprilG Sorry. Didn’t mean to turn your stomach!
[...] Kris Bordessa is on a mission to eradicate slugs from her garden. She’s been spotted after dark wearing a headlamp and carrying chopsticks. During daylight hours she’s been canning salsa, creating a new sewing project, and crocheting a very lopsided dishcloth, all the while pondering some coding issues on her website. [...]
Hello again, Carl from Waikoloa here, I’ve learned about rat lungworm since moving here, and have been very diligent about cleaning my produce that’ll be consumed raw.
Seeing your post reminded me of when I visited my in-laws in Tokyo last summer. They have a nice little garden outside their home, and at night the same thing would occur. Hoards of small slugs infiltrating everywhere. I don’t know if you’ve heard of this trick, but my mother in-law put out small ceramic bowl and filled it with some beer (the cheap stuff). She heard it works to attract them, so she decided to give it a go. I can’t tell you how many were in that bowl the next morning. It was unreal. Give it a try. It’s very easy, not messy at all, and def won’t harm your other plants (unless the slugs get drunk and rowdy, and tip over the bowl). If you decide to use a finer brew, just pour in half, sit down in a lawn chair and peer at the stars as you enjoy the rest of it (pajamas optional). Hope this helps!
*a* small ceramic bowl
Lol, lesson learned. Should have read to the bottom of your post. Beer’s not been successful for you.
I hate slugs and do have them in my garden. I had never seen a mass of slug eggs and will know what to look for so thanks. Could you do a post on snails?? I have them, too, and would love to get rid of them.
Snails and slugs are pretty interchangeable as far as combating them. At least in my experience. I need to get a picture of the garden slugs we have here. They look more like water snails.
My biggest problem has been the horned tomato worm this year. They are obviously hatching in batches. I get rid of them, they are gone for a good bit, and then they are back. Boo! I’m thankful to have not dealt with the slugs.
Are you hand picking? That’s how I’ve handled those, too! It’s like a treasure hunt…
Sorry, I missed the updates on this post. I used table salt. Maybe you could put in on newspaper or something, but still build a “moat” of salt that the slugs have to cross. When I did this with snails, I used to find piles of shells right at the line of defense. Worked amazingly well!
In the days before my city life, I had a big vegetable garden in the lush climbes of the Adelaide Hills. We found sawdust works very well as a physical barrier. (but we also succeeded with beer). Too much salt in your garden will effect the ph and draw water away from your plants. But sawdust provides a rough surface that the slugs can’t navigate over for some reason. Good luck.
I hunt them in the early morning with a kettle of hot water.