Carol in Moose Jaw, SK., asks:
How do I eliminate slugs?
Beckie’s reply:
An efficient way to eliminate slugs is to manually remove them from your plants. It’s a yucky job, but effective. Some people swear by shallow bowls of beer sunk into the soil (the rim of the bowl needs to be at ground level or slightly above). The hops or yeast lures slugs into the beer, where they drown. Others use a ring of sharp sand or broken eggshells around the base of susceptible plants—slugs don’t like to travel over dry, sharp surfaces. I’m not sure if beer and eggshells are worth the trouble, given that there isn’t much evidence that these methods work. If you’re a hosta lover and slugs are a problem, try planting thick-leaved, corrugated varieties. Slugs find these types of hostas less palatable. I don’t recommend using salt, although it’s said to dehydrate the pests. Salt can be damaging to plants.
More answers to common gardening questions
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