Do away with Slugs at Home

Slugs in the house can drive you insane. Their tracks typically appear overnight across floors, cabinets, carpets, and even up walls. And just ask a child who has stepped on one oozing its way across the kitchen floor - that slime sticks like glue But you can put a stop to it. To get rid of every slug in your house, follow the steps below.

Slugs and snails are drawn to older homes because they have many cracks and crevices, and the underside is dark, cool, and often moist.  

"We live in an old farmhouse in the heart of a rainy, wet valley," says our friend Collin. It's lovely and green, but there are slugs all over the place. We've learned to live with them outside, but when they started showing up in the kitchen, we (my wife) had a problem. ”

"These enormous slugs would show up, usually in the morning, or we would see their slimy trails around the cat food dish - it was disgusting," says Kim (a city girl who used to live on the 37th floor in downtown Chicago). I'd die if anyone else saw them. Collin, on the other hand, followed their tracks and filled in every gap. It only took a few hours, but We haven't seen a slug inside in months - it's fantastic. ”

Why are they drawn to each other?

Slugs have a keen sense of smell and are frequently drawn to pet food, kitchens, and pantries. Simply leaving the dog's food on an outdoor porch on a rainy spring night will attract slugs if they are in the neighborhood. (So to speak)

How do they gain access?

Slugs can squeeze through incredibly small cracks because they lack bones or even an insect's hard shell. They can also climb vertical surfaces and travel backwards. Spaces under doors, holes drilled in the floor for water or gas pipes, joints along walls, cut-outs for furnace and dryer ducts, and electrical wiring holes are all common entry points.

This slug has just squeaked its way through a crack. about half the size of itself

How to get rid of every slimy, slithering slug and keep them OUT

Tips

• Use a torch/flashlight in a darkened room to spot the dried trails from last nights' invasion then follow them back to any entry points
• Examine the walls for joints, holes, and gaps, as well as the areas around doors, pipes, vents, and under cabinets.
• Seal gaps using expanding foam for larger gaps or silicone sealant for smaller cracks
• Pellets in a dish under the fridge won't increase the number of slugs coming in - there are already enough delicious smells in your house for any slug to investigate
• Arm yourself with the supplies listed below and set out to defeat the slimy threat.

Repairing cracks

We strongly recommend polyurethane foam in a can for larger gaps. This material expands as it cures, filling every void with a long-lasting, pest-proof, and waterproof barrier. It also keeps the winter wind, noise, and pesky rodents out. Pay special attention to any pipes or ducting, joints, and spaces around doors or baseboard trim.

When working with foam, wear gloves and old clothes because it will stick to everything, including your hands, hair, clothes, children, and passing motorists. However, there is no better or easier way to fill large gaps than with expanding foam. Lay down newspapers or plastic sheeting and keep a rag nearby to catch any foam oozing from the nozzle. Because hardened foam will clog the nozzle, it's best to finish the can while it's still fresh.

Once the foam has hardened, you can easily trim away any excess with a serrated knife or hack saw blade. It can then be plastered or painted over in a visible location. The can comes with a flexible nozzle.

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The copper tape

We wish we could recommend this product, but our research and testing have revealed that copper tape is not as effective as we would like. Copper tape appears to be an ideal solution because it lasts a long time and studies show that it works in some situations. However, in practice, it does not work very well; most of the time, slugs and snails will simply slide across without hesitation. There are thousands of websites that will try to sell you this product, but it simply does not work well enough for us to recommend it.

If you still want to buy or read reviews, go to this page in the United States.

Alternatively, in the United Kingdom

 Sealant

Silicone sealant works better than foam for smaller gaps (anything smaller than a pencil). Simply squeeze a bit into any suspicious holes and fill in any gaps between the floor and the wall, around door trim, baseboards, or timber joints. A squeeze tube of sealant is much easier to use in tight spaces than a large cartridge and gun.

Click here to read reviews or to buy in the United States.

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Slug bait

Pellets applied where slugs are likely to hide are the most effective method of controlling slugs and snails. The new generation of slug baits is effective, tasty to slugs, and safe for children, pets, and wildlife. Baits developed in recent years are based on iron phosphate, a compound that is not toxic to anything other than slugs and snails. Slugs will stop feeding after eating this bait and will crawl away to die a few days later.

Metaldehyde, a chemical toxic to dogs, cats, wildlife, and humans, is present in older baits. Dogs will seek out bait pellets even if they are scattered throughout the garden. Some metaldehyde baits are coated with 'animal repellent,' which is an improvement, but we've all seen what a dog will eat, and it's just not worth the risk to us. Please purchase only iron phosphate-based baits labeled "pet and wildlife safe."   Dogs, cats, hedgehogs, snakes, birds, toads, and children will be grateful.

Click here to buy and read reviews in the United States.

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Seals for doors

Of course, a large gap under any exterior door invites slugs to enter in search of a tasty meal. This seal may appear odd, but it does the job and is simple to install - simply slide it under the door. It should not be used on carpet, but a few strips of duct tape on the bottom will help it slide smoothly. It also reduces draughts/drafts and noise. The inner and outer sections can be trimmed to different lengths and are easily cut to size.

Click here to read reviews or make a purchase in the United Kingdom.

Click here to read reviews or to buy in the United States.

Get rid of those hiding places.

Control the slugs outside, and fewer will enter. Use our 6-step plan to get rid of slugs in your home and garden.

Other approaches

Diatomaceous earth (DE)

Diatomaceous earth is the fossilized remains of the diatom, a single-celled algae. Millions of these microscopic fossils accumulate over time and form deposits similar to limestone. This material can be directly sprinkled on slugs or used as a barrier. If you live in a dry climate, diatomaceous earth is an excellent slug and insect repellent. However, diatomaceous earth is ineffective once wet, so most people will be better off using one of the methods listed above.

Ducks

Ducks are excellent slug eaters and will scour your garden for these tasty morsels. They will also happily eat your lettuce seedlings so keep them fenced out until plants are larger Furthermore, is there anything cuter than baby ducks? OK, maybe kittens…

Salt

Salt will definitely kill slugs, and a band of salt across a doorway will keep them out, but we do not recommend this method. Salt will also kill nearby plants, and stepping over a line of salt does not appear to be practical. Furthermore, pouring salt on a slug will result in an orange slimy mess, which seems cruel.

One of the most ridiculous internet answers involved digging a "moat" around your house and filling it with salt. Expensive – yes Plant toxins – yes Refill after a rainstorm – yes Apart from that...

Gardening in Washington State

The Pacific Northwest screams cool, damp, and sluggy. The Pacific Banana Slug is a native resident of this area and the mascot of the University of California, Santa Cruz. This lowly (wink wink) but beloved gastropod is the world's second largest terrestrial slug, growing to nearly 10" (25 cm) in length at times.

Depending on moisture, light exposure, and diet, it can range from nearly black (like that week-old banana you forgot in the fruit bowl) to bright yellow to nearly white. many are a dull yellow with blackish spots

Banana slugs provide an important service in their rainforest habitat by consuming leaves, animal waste, and dead plant material. Slugs contribute to the forest's nutrient cycle by excreting a high nitrogen fertilizer. Slugs are occasionally eaten by raccoons, snakes, waterfowl, and salamanders.

Banana slugs are usually not a problem in the garden because they prefer the forest floor. Of course, there are many slug species that would love nothing more than to eat your newly planted seedlings. If you garden in the Pacific Northwest, we highly recommend our friends at My Northwest Garden; they are wonderful people who are committed to assisting you in growing a fantastic garden. Tell them we said hello.

Thanks for Helping

If you buy something by clicking on one of our links we get a few pennies from Amazon to put into more research on slugs and snails It has no effect on the price for you, but it does help us a little. Because slugs aren't picky, we don't need the pricey 'Royal Complete Duck & Rabbit Senior Slug Mix.'

Thank you once more; we greatly appreciate your assistance.

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