Slug control - What to do about slugs 

Whether it's young vegetables, fresh plant shoots or flowering shrubs, slugs and snails find an almost endless supply of food in our gardens. 

It is therefore not surprising that they are probably one of the most annoying pests and that every garden owner wonders how best to control slugs. 

In the following, we explain what you can do about slugs. With our tips, you can control slugs without using chemicals, which unnecessarily harm not only the pests but also the beneficial organisms in your garden.

Why you shouldn't use chemicals to control slugs

Given the extensive damage that slugs and snails can cause in the garden, the idea of using chemicals to control these pests is naturally obvious.

A wide range of products are available in the shops. Slug pellets, in particular, are very popular for slug control. It is very easy to apply and works quickly and reliably.

Nevertheless, you should consider using chemicals against slugs and snails. Slugs that have eaten slug pellets pose a considerable danger to birds and hedgehogs. 

In addition, some species, such as Roman snails, can also be very useful. They eat dead leaves and sometimes even slug eggs. By using products such as slug pellets, you are therefore also combating slugs and snails, which is of great benefit to your garden.

Slug pellets are also a danger to humans

You should know that slug pellets and other slug control chemicals pose a serious risk not only to beneficial animals, but also to pets and humans. 

Especially if you have children or a dog or cat, you should not underestimate the risk posed by slug pellets. Ingestion of slug pellets can sometimes be fatal for children and pets. 

Symptoms of poisoning include heavy salivation, vomiting and diarrhoea, fever, irritation of the mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes, and impaired coordination and muscle cramps. If symptoms occur, you should immediately call an emergency doctor or consult a veterinarian.  

Ideally, however, you should not let things get that far and you should not fight the snails with poison. As you will soon discover, the natural alternatives we present below are just as suitable, without unnecessary risks to your offspring or four-legged friend. 

Natural alternatives for slug control 

As you can see, chemical slug control is only recommended to a limited extent. Instead, we advise you to control the pests in your garden in a natural way. 

For example, use a snail fence, snail traps or snail tongs, with which you can easily remove the snails by hand. You will soon discover that these slug control methods are extremely effective and that these pests can be reliably eliminated with our tips. 

Slug control with a slug pest 

If you want to control slugs in your garden with a mechanical barrier in a biologically harmless way, a slug barrier is particularly effective in practice. 

Slug barriers, such as those found in our shop, are an insurmountable obstacle for snails thanks to their double outwardly curved top edge. If installed correctly, they offer your plants reliable protection.

The following points are important for slug control with a slug barrier: 

• The slug fence should be erected in good time in spring.
• A fence height of about 15 centimetres is necessary to keep slugs away.
• For a stable support, the fence should be anchored about 10 cm deep in the soil.
• The slug fence should completely surround the bed to be protected.
• Contact with adjacent plants, which could be used by slugs for climbing, should be avoided.

To enhance the effect of the slug barrier, we recommend spading the soil in late autumn and early spring. In this way, you expose the slug eggs in the soil, which will be eliminated by frost, sun and predators.  

In addition, it is advisable to check the slug barrier regularly. You can also save yourself a lot of work and further improve the protection of your beds with an additional panel border. 

Slug control with slug traps

Snail traps are another way to control snails. At the very least, they can provide a useful support for the installation of a snail fence. 

A snail trap is a container filled with water containing a bait whose smell attracts snails. If the pests crawl into the trap, they drown. 

The slug trap can then be easily emptied, reloaded and put back in place. To effectively control slugs with this method, it is best to place several slug traps in your garden. However, remember that the smell of the bait can sometimes attract slugs from neighbours' gardens. It is therefore advisable to always use snail traps in combination with a snail fence. 

Controlling snails with snail tongs 

The best way to control snails left inside the enclosure is to pick them up one by one with snail tongs. 

The easiest way is to visit your garden when it is dark and wet. Of course, you can also pick up snails by hand. However, with a slugcatcher you don't have to touch the slimy pests, especially in the case of slugs.  

In addition, the special shape of the snail tongs allows you to catch the snails without damaging the plants. Even slug eggs can be picked up and removed very easily with these tongs. 

Moreover, slug pincers are not only suitable for slug control. If necessary, they can also be used to collect caterpillars and other pests. With the slug pincers, you can effectively control slugs and other unwanted guests without using chemicals.  

To get rid of the collected pests, it is recommended to pour boiling water on them. This will kill them quickly and almost painlessly. Salt spraying, on the other hand, leads to a long and agonising death of the slugs and should therefore not be carried out. 

Regardless of this, it is not advisable to simply take the collected pests away and leave them in another place when controlling slugs. There they can multiply undisturbed. In addition, snails can sometimes travel very long distances. So it's only a matter of time before the pests repopulate your garden.

Slug control - our conclusion 

As you can see, there are a number of options for controlling slugs. The methods we have mentioned have the great advantage that no chemicals are used against slugs. 

This way you can avoid harming other animals in your garden or even putting people at risk unnecessarily. At the same time, you can be sure that you will be able to effectively control existing slugs and reliably prevent a pest infestation of your plants.  

In this context, however, bear in mind that the earlier you start to control slugs in your garden, the easier it will be. So don't wait until your beds are full of these pests, but fight slugs as soon as you see the first traces of slime.