Many gardeners who have community garden plots or home gardens on the ground floor would have encountered slugs and snails gnawing at their plants, or worse, denuding them. The presence of these gastropods is a recurring event in my garden and I’ve looked at different ways on how to get rid of slugs and snails from my property in Singapore. The snails I usually find are the African Land Snail, Luminescent Land Snail, Humphrey’s Land Snail and Allopeas Snail but we do have a diverse number of snails in Singapore.
My former flock of chickens would eat the smaller snails and slugs but my current resident flock turn their beaks up at them. So I’ve had to explore other ways of dealing with them that don’t involve slug or snail pellets, something which I’m not terribly fond of because I don’t like the use of poisons in my garden or the likelihood of making my chickens or any wildlife sick.
Aside from pellets, other tactics that gardeners swear by include copper tape, beer traps/pub, wool pellets, diatomaceous earth, coffee grounds, brambles, and using a plank as a lure, where they can be found and dealt with later. This is a good time to mention that crushed egg shells are not as effective as once thought, because gardeners have found that snails and slugs just crawl over it.
There are however, non-chemical, humane strategies that you can consider, either through preventing or by baiting/trapping, and then relocating. They may come across as the enemy but they are ecologically beneficial. Their diet consists of fungi and rotting leaves and other vegetation, and as detritivores and some say decomposers, they help in breaking down plant waste, cycling nutrients back to the soil. While they are not particularly welcome to our vegetable garden especially, we don’t need to use a take no prisoners approach.
Slugs and snails can be a real nuisance in any garden but they seem to take a particular liking to African mallow shrubs. As a gardener who grows African mallow (also known as abelmosk, ambrette, galu gasti, or muskdana) I have had many battles with these slimy pests over the years.
If left unchecked, slugs will quickly defoliate and even kill an African mallow shrub. Their rasping mouthparts can make short work of the large, soft leaves that are the hallmark of these tropical shrubs.
While chemical slug baits are an option, I prefer organic approaches that won’t harm kids, pets or beneficial insects in the garden. Here are my top 8 organic methods for getting rid of slugs on African mallow shrubs.
1. Use Nematodes
Nematodes are tiny worm-like creatures that occur naturally in soil. Some types prey on slugs and snails, entering their bodies and killing them within a few days. I have used nematodes successfully to control slugs in my African mallow garden.
To use them, water the nematode solution onto moist soil around the base of the shrubs. The nematodes will seek out slugs and snails living in the top few inches of soil. For best results, apply in the evening and avoid watering for a few days so the nematodes can work undisturbed. Treat again every 4-6 weeks throughout slug season.
2. Set Out Beer Traps
One of the most popular organic slug traps is the beer trap. Slugs are attracted to the yeasty smell of beer and will crawl in for a drink, only to drown.
To make a beer trap, fill a small container (a yogurt cup works well) most of the way with cheap beer. Sink the cups into the soil around your African mallows, keeping the rim at ground level. Empty and refill the traps every few days as needed. The beer traps I set out were very effective at catching slugs near my shrubs.
3. Use Coffee Grounds
Slugs and snails avoid crawling over coffee grounds. The rough, dry texture irritates their soft bodies. Scatter wet used coffee grounds around the base of the shrubs to help deter the slugs. Reapply after rain or watering.
I tried this trick with good success by saving my morning coffee grounds for a few days then sprinkling them around affected plants. The slugs clearly avoided areas treated with coffee grounds.
4. Apply Copper Tape
Copper foil tape can be wrapped around planting containers or the trunks of trees and shrubs to block slugs. The copper gives them a mild electric shock when they crawl over it. For African mallows in containers, wrap the tape completely around the outside.
On plants in the ground, you can use short 4-6 inch strips of tape spaced a few inches apart around the base of the trunk. Be sure to press the tape down firmly so it stays in good contact with the surface. Reapply as needed, since copper tape can wear off over time.
5. Spread Vaseline
Slugs and snails won’t cross over vaseline. Apply a thick barrier around pots or the base of shrubs. I found it worked well to glob on vaseline about 1 inch wide and 1/4 inch thick around each plant. It stopped the slugs from climbing up from the ground onto my plants.
However, vaseline can wash off with heavy rain or watering. Reapply it every few days or after storms to keep the barrier intact. It’s a bit messy, but provides good protection until it wears off.
6. Use Grapefruit Rind Trap
Slugs are also attracted to citrus fruits. A grapefruit rind trap takes advantage of this weakness to lure and drown the pests.
Save your grapefruit halves after breakfast. At night, place the rind peel-side down in areas near affected plants. The slugs will be drawn to the juicy citrus scent and crawl underneath, getting stuck on the tacky inner rind surface. In the morning, dump any trapped slugs into soapy water to kill them.
7. Night Hunt with a Torch
For hands-on organic slug control, head out at night with a flashlight or headlamp. Slugs come out at night to feed. Scan leaves, branches and soil around your African mallows carefully. Pick off any slugs and snails you spot and drop them into a bucket of soapy water.
Their sparkly slime trails on leaves are a good indicator of where to search. Patrol on damp evenings after rain or watering when slug activity peaks. Make nightly slug hunts a routine for a while to control an infestation.
8. Attract Slug Predators
Encourage the animals that like to eat slugs and snails to hang out in your garden. Toads and frogs will gobble up any slugs and snails they find. Set out shallow dishes of water or create moist, sheltered areas to attract them. Ground beetles and their larvae also feed on slugs. Avoid pesticides that would kill these beneficial predators.
Free-range chickens will devour slugs and snails. Let them patrol the garden often to clean up pests. Their scratching also disturbs slug hiding spots. Having a few slug-eating predators around is a chemical-free way to control the slimy pests.
Are snail pellets safe for cats, dogs, birds and vegetables?
There are a couple types of snail pellets commonly found on the market. They contain Metaldehyde or Iron phosphate and many want to know if it is dangerous for cats, dogs, birds, wildlife and vegetables.
Metaldehyde pellets have existed for a long time and are still easily available in Singapore nurseries. It is highly toxic to animals, not advisable for use around edible plants and it has been reported that once it leaches into waterways, it is difficult to fully remove chemical residues. Overall this is harmful to pets, wildlife and vegetables and not a good idea in my opinion.
Iron phosphate pellets are said to be a safer option compared to Metaldehyde, and safer for cats, dogs, birds and other wildlife, but it can still kill earthworms. Also, it is important to note that dogs get sick after consuming lots of iron. Also, you are exposing yourself to it if it gets on your skin or if you accidentally breathe it in.
But an even safer alternative is not to use these snail pellets altogether. There has been talk about how a caffeine solution is effective but unfortunately this can also kill beneficial insects which your plants need. While it is natural and of organic origin, it is hostile to the ecosystem and I would not recommend it.
Why a beer trap is not a good idea
It’s not the beer itself but the yeast in the beverage which attracts them. In fact, it is so effective that several gardeners warn how its smell may attract even more of them to your garden. Rather than giving yourself even more problems and being unnecessarily cruel, why not try other methods?
I don’t have any more slugs. 3 simple proven ways to get rid of slugs without chemicals
How do you stop slugs from crawling over plants?
One of the most obvious methods is to create a gritty barrier between your plant and the slugs. Spread grit, gravel, nutshells or crushed eggshells around your plants and the slugs will avoid crawling over it. Slugs love to feed on fresh green growth such as seedlings, so the younger the plant the more susceptible it is.
How to prevent slugs?
Let’s look briefly at some of the best ways to prevent slugs. Copper barriers may prevent slugs from crawling up plants to eat their leaves, flowers, stems, and fruit. Some say that placing copper wire around plants stops slugs from coming close. The copper reacts with the slug’s slime, giving it a shock.
How do you get rid of Garden slugs?
Put the lid on the tub. Check the beer traps every few days for dead slugs and replenish the liquid as necessary. Although slugs look fat and slimy, some common garden slugs can stretch up to 8” (20 cm). So, they should squeeze through relatively small holes to get to their favorite tipple.
Does spraying slugs kill a plant?
The spray literally melts the pests before your eyes. Gardeners who use this method believe that the dead slug bodies help deter other slugs from moving into the area. As long as you’re not spraying zillions of slugs every night, the solution shouldn’t affect plantings.