Okay everyone, I need your help. It appears the slugs were out in full force last night munching away at my young broccoli starts. This is very bad news as we need the broccoli to grow so we can enjoy some stir fry dinners this fall.
Normally I would just walk out to the garden with the salt shaker and douse the little buggers into a salt coma, but these slugs apear to be attacking my plants in the middle of the night.
Now I’ll admit it, I totally lack skills when it comes to pest patrol, manly because I don’t have many problems with them. But I do remember a bunch of you chatting in the comment section a while back about using beer as slug bait. So today I went over to Albertsons and paid $1.39 for a can of beer {I hope the slugs aren’t picky}. Beer is not something I typically buy so I just bought the cheapest thing I could find. The cashier gave me a weird look when she had to okay my purchase {apparently I DO look over 21}. I quickly told her it was for the slugs and not me, but she just rolled her eyes. LOL I guess that’s what I get for buying a giant can of beer at 7am.
Anyway, NOW WHAT?
What am I suppose to do with it?
Where do I put, and in what kind of container?
How many will I catch?
Mavis needs YOUR help!
Tara says
Dig a shallow hole, set a pie pan in it, add your beer.
This works around my house since they LOVE my front screen door, pepper plants and the hot tub cover.
Happy slug hunting!
Jamie says
I take it and put it in tuna fish cans or something similar (cut down yogurt containers, etc.). Slugs are attracted to beer and will crawl in, get their drink on and no more slugs. I change it out when it gets gross, the slugs don’t mind flat beer.
Laura says
I do the same as Jamie. Sink the can into the ground so it’s kind of level and fill it up with beer. Save the rest so you can use it again. You’ll catch a ton of them.
Beth says
Just throwing this out there, since you seem to be getting the ol’ flank from behind attack, have you checked to see if it’s cabbage moth worms? It is that time of year.
Heather@Creative Family Moments says
Anyone have any problems with the dog drinking it before I try this method? Also, what are cabbage moth worms?
Beth says
Cabbage moth is a pesty white little moth that during the months of May-October lay there eggs all over plants, but particularly cruciferous group (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage etc). They’re eggs hatch into small little green worms, very small worms, but the worms slowly start growing the more they eat your plants. They can easily take out a whole leaf as if they were a stealth fighter. Then before you know it your whole plant can be covered with them or you end up finding small green worms inside your cauliflower as you go take a bite.
Bren says
I have those green moth worms, whats the best way to get rid of them?
KKC says
Yes, some dogs will drink the beer. I had a malamute as a child who drank it all before the slugs could get to it! The beer method is effective if your dog doesn’t drink it. But be forewarned, melted slugs in beer is VERY slimy!
Christa says
totally agree with the above comments. I use the small butter containers and bury them so the top lip is ground level. when i did mine for my basil, sunflower and broc, i even got a few beetles. yay!
Evonne says
Only amendment I would have is to when you bury the cup. I would take 2 solo cups and put 1 in the other and then bury them. Then when the cup fills up, you can take it out and put a new one in.
I can’t take credit for the idea – I got i from some people at work.
Connie says
Awesome idea Evonne. Thanks for sharing.
Brandy says
I use a disposable pie plate and sink it in the mulch. The next morning I do the happy dance when I find all the “drunk” dead slugs. Easy and works!!
Practical Parsimony says
Sorry about your eaten plants! Never put salt out on weeds or slugs. If you do, you will end up with barren ground. I hear the beer works great. So does diatomaceous earth.
Sara says
I use food great diatomaceous earth a lot. Works great for ants and any bug/ pest problems. You can buy it cheep online. Also best of all it won’t hurt your family or any pets. You can even consume it.
Jamie B says
What about creating a ring around each plant with salt? That way the slugs have to crawl through the salt to get to the plant, and you don’t have to worry about family pets drinking the beer.
Jenny says
For some reason beer didn’t work for my slugs last time. I bought some Slug-go from Ace hardware and it worked like a charm!! You just sprinkle it all around and it’s harmless to your garden vegetables. 🙂
Good luck!!
Talaena says
Last time I tried beer it didn’t work either. I just used an old can of whatever was in my back fridge. Maybe it was to dark for them? Or to old? Picky picky!
Perhaps to save the cost of beer and the embarrassment of buying some at 7am you can use some of that nearly free yeast we get sometimes instead. Someone told me a while back that it was the yeast the slugs are attracted to and they made some sort of yeast concoction that worked just as good as beer. Something to research anyway.
Egg shells also work. Let them dry out and crush them up. Then sprinkle them around the starts. And egg shells are free!
I think by far the best route is ducks. My folks have ducks on their farm and I HONESTLY have NEVER seen a slug on their property. The ducks will eat slug eggs mostly but also some smaller slugs. And duck eggs are good! And if you get to many they sell for over $5 a dozen in some places! But good luck selling that one to your HH. 🙂
Sakura says
I think you can put egg shells around your plants and that is supposed to help with slugs or snails.
Elisabeth S. says
Mavis-
I was going through my weekly email from tipnut.com and i found a section for you:
http://tipnut.com/rid-slugs-garden/
Hope it helps!
Mavis says
Sweet! Thanks Elisabeth. I’ll take a look. 🙂
David says
The neighbor dogs will drink it if they can, but a little chicken wire over the top will keep most of it in. My dog sneezes uncontrollably when she has beer, so it’s easy to tell 🙂 Just make sure the slugs can crawl in easily.
David says
I almost forgot, instead of pie tins or bowls I have some sea shells that I use instead, looks more natural.
Anne says
I learned this in a Seattle Tilth class:
1. Use a plastic container with lid (yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.)
2. Uut a 1″ diameter hole in the side.
3. Bury the container a bit in the soil.
4. Add the cheapest beer available (slugs don’t care…)
5. Make sure that the bottom of the hole is at least an 1″ above the soil level. Otherwise, beneficial insects will get caught in the trap (so sad.)