A Slug repellent with no pesticides

While on the subject of toxic chemicals used in our homes and yards to control pests especially in the spring is the seemingly never-ending problem of how to keep the slugs out of your garden. Right now the slugs are decimating my transplanted marigolds and lettuces. When shopping for a biological solution, the only commercial slug repellent was locked in a glass cupboard with killex, roundup, sevin, etc and it was just not an option. Frankly I am not too keen on killing slugs – they must have a purpose – so here are some slug unfriendly biological suggestions /solutions for keeping them out of your garden! So copper coils and pennies were a new option.

Ideas to control slugs

• Pay the neighbourhood children or grandchildren a nickel (no more pennies) to salt the slugs
• We paid our young children a penny a slug which they fed to the chickens – both the chickens and the kids loved it
• I tried using beer in a saucer to catch the slugs but this was not 100% successful but worth a try
• Walk through your garden in the early morning or after a rain and pick slugs or snails off the plants
• Place a board, or inverted empty plant pot, in the garden and when the slugs go there after devouring your newly transplanted lettuces dispose of them
• Evidently slugs like citrus fruits – so after removing pulp put them in your garden overnight – a great slug attraction
• Both salt and vinegar “dissolve” slugs – but can harm plants and worms if over used
• Course sand or lime sprinkled around plants should discourage slugs
•  Ammonia can be toxic to plant roots and leaves although sometimes recommended for slug control

Slug Repellent Alternative

As soon as the marigolds are transplanted out, the slugs seem to hear the trumpet call to visit the yard and devour the marigolds. Here’s a solution to use copper strapping or pennies and not use pesticides to keep those pesky slugs and snails out of your garden. This is based on the premise that slugs will not cross copper – so began the experiment !

1. Tack / nail copper stripping around the top of your raised bed gardens (if that is how you garden)
2. Build light weight square or triangular wood frames and tack copper stripping on to wood (with 1/4 inch 2 x 2)
3. For me the simplest solution was to make copper rings to put around susceptible plants
4. Tack copper strips to plant containers or around the base

Materials required for Rings

To make ten copper garden rings

1. 10 feet of standard copper strapping ½ or ¾ inch
2. Small amount of fine copper wiring (to tie rings) about 3” per ring

Equipment

1. Metal cutters
2. Small nosed pliers

 How to make

1. Simply cut the strapping to the desired length
2. Overlap two of the holes at the end, and insert 3” copper wire, twist and tighten and …

Voila that is it!

Copper Coil Benefits

Copper is expensive these days but ten small rings cost $10 and they are :

• Slug proof
• Weather resistant
• Recyclable and reusable, year after year
• Made to measure – make up various sizes for your different plants
• Mobile – move from plant to plant during the growing season as needed (simply snip or untie wire and move)
• A time saver – it’s very time-consuming picking and killing slugs by hand (not to mention yuckie)
• Best of all – this is a toxic free solution using no chemicals to harm kids, birds and bees
• Another possible benefit of using copper garden rings is that copper is a conductor of electricity so during an electrical thunder-storm the rings apparently stimulate plant growth.  Quote: This little-known technology, called Electro-culture, can accelerate growth rates, increase yields, and improve crop quality. Electro-culture can protect plants from diseases, insects and frost. These methods also can reduce the requirements for fertilizer or pesticides.

So there you have it – a possible solution to your small home garden slug and snail dilemna – so simple and definitely worth a try!

Notes

• If plants are large – cut and make copper garden circles in situ
• Copper is pliable and rings are easy and quick to make
• Slugs like acidic soil so encourage earth worms whose castings are alkaline
• Mulch with oak leaves which are alkaline when decomposed
• It’s the yeast in the beer the slugs are after so mix one teaspoon of yeast plus 3 ounces of water and put in a saucer and place in strategic spots throughout your garden to trap more slugs
• Copper pennies may also work, depending on copper content, but have not found a way to join them together
• If you prefer to give your pennies to charity – buy some copper coil
• Set rings in soil so slugs have to cross them and make sure no vegetation hangs on the ground
• Most chemicals are non selective and kill the good bugs and worms, beneficial in gardening

Christmas is coming
the geese are getting fat.
Please put a penny in the old man’s hat
If you haven’t got a penny a ha’penny will do
and if you haven’t got that
Well God bless you

Old round

Links & References

• If you would like to know all about slugs and other mollusks from Wikipedia
• Electro-Culture by Robert A. Nelson – just fascinating
• “Organic Gardening” magazine, Robert Rodale, August 1975
• Common chemicals in slug and snail killer are iron phosphate and metaldehyde
• Metaldehyde information from PAN
• Sevin or Carbaryl – It is also a carcinogen, a cholinesterase inhibitor, a reproductive toxin and a “suspected” Endocrine Disruptor
• Killex or D24-D or Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid
• Roundup or glyphosphate