Did you know the average garden can be home to up to 15,000 slugs? But as well as munching their way through your veggie patch, slugs can also get acquainted in our homes, as their boneless bodies can squeeze through even the smallest of cracks. Luckily, there are lots of different ways to deter slugs away from your most prized garden crop and front door, from building a beer trap (yes really, slugs love the booze!) to laying down eggshells and building a hedgehog house. Yes, we're serious.
The garden is a slugs' favourite destination as they love to eat plants, particularly leaves, stems, roots and veg. But there are a few ways you can prevent slugs from sliming their way through the foliage, including biological and cultural control to using a chemical treatment. We've spoken to an expert at Love The Garden, who has helped us pop this guide together. Who knew pest control could be so exciting?
Slugs begone! We’ve found the best natural slug repellent to stop critters munching on your crops...
How to get rid of slugs in the garden
Build a hedgehog house
Slugs are one of hedgehog's favourite delicacies (as well as snails and insects). Therefore encouraging more hedgehogs into your garden by building a hedgehog home can be a great way to keep slug numbers down. If you’ve got some time on your hands then we’ve got a great guide on how to build your very own hedgehog home and you’ll probably already have most of the items lying around in your house. Funnily enough, slugs are known to seek cover under bricks, garden furniture, and large logs.
Let's hope they make their way over to your new hedgehog home...
Best hedghog home to get rid of slugs
RSPBshopping.rspb.org.uk
This adorable RSPB Silhouette Hedgehog Home is sure to attract some spiky friends into your garden (what hedgehog wouldn't want this abode as their home?). Place it outside your home before October, so they have a house ready for hibernation. With its gently sloping roof and distinctive hedgehog design carved on the front, it's a safe spot for your garden friend. And, the internal entrance is concealed to help protect them from predators. Plus, there are ventilation holes to help with airflow, too. It comes with a pre-drilled camera hole, to install a wildlife camera - which we love.
Customers call it "lovely", well-made and just what they were looking for...
Pros
- The entrance is concealed to keep predators away
- With pre-drilled ventilation and wildlife camera holes
- Cute design - a perfect retreat for spiky friends
Cons
- May only house one or two!
| Size | 53 x 40 x 23.5cm |
| Material | FSC® certified pine |
Wood pellets, coffee grounds, egg shells and grit
Slugs hate clambering over rough and spiky objects, so if there’s a particular plant or batch of veggies you want to protect, surround them with a thick layer of either of these. If you’re using egg shells, Love The Garden suggests popping them in the oven first and baking them on low heat, as this will make them more spiky and even less appealing for those pesky slugs. We suggest pine needles and thorny cuttings.
Best barrier pellets
ITAXwww.crocus.co.uk
As well as helping to control the slugs in your outdoor area, these Natural Wool Barrier Pellets have been made from recycled wool, so they're a great option if you're keen to keep your garden organic. Simply scatter on the soil, and water and watch your plants thrive slug-free. They also release nutrients to help feed your plants, too. Protect and enrich your soil and suppress weeds and slugs...
Pros
- For flower beds, container pots and hanging baskets
- Absorbs and retains moisture; ideal to mix with compost
- A natural, soil-protecting and self-felting mulch
Cons
- May not work best in damp weather
| Quantity | 10 L |
Another great deterrent for pots...
AmazonWe've read that you can spray WD40 on the outside of plant pots to make them too slippery for slugs to climb. How clever. The WS-40s Smart Straw allows for precise application, too. Easy and effective.
Pros
- Multiuse lubricant for many household jobs
- Rust prevention, lubrication and corrosion control
- Water-resistant formula and easy to apply
Cons
- Be careful when applying - it's powerful
Buy a bird table
Another natural predator that enjoys a good slug is birds, particularly Song Thrushes. If you don’t have many birds in your garden why not try to encourage more by buying either a bird table or a bird bath? Apparently, Song Thrushes are a big fan of suet pellets, so spreading some of these on the ground or popping them into a feeder could help entice them into your garden and get rid of those squelchy slugs.
Best hanging bird table
John Lewiswww.johnlewis.com
This Wildlife World Hanging Bempton Bird Table is perfect for gardens that don't have a lot of space. Simply hang it from a tree and watch the birds flock. It's also made of durable wood too that can survive all seasons, so there's no need to take it down once the weather turns. It's so cute.
Pros
- Suitable for all different feed types
- FSC-certified timber for sustainability
- Real copper roof with unique patina
Cons
- Repaint annually to maintain the appearance
| Dimensions | H30 x W20 x D20cm; 1.2 kg |
| Materials | Timber, recycled plastic, copper |
Set up a beer trap
It’s not just people who enjoy a nice cool beer on a warm summer's day as slugs love it too - no really! They’re attracted to the fermentation gasses of the beer. Love The Garden has a really easy beer trap guide and all you need is a beer and a jam jar. It's one of our favourite natural slug repellents...
Half-fill a jam jar with beer.
Sink it into the soil, with its rim approximately 1cm (0.5in) above the soil surface (to prevent predators of slugs, like beetles, from falling in).
The aroma never fails to attract slugs and in seeking its source the pests simply fall in and drown.
Get some slug pellets
These contain substances that are poisonous to slugs and will kill them once they make direct contact with them. Spread a thin layer on the soil or around your vulnerable plants and veggies to help keep them safe. Always make sure to keep slug pellets out of reach of children and pets.
Tested
Best organic slug repellent
Yours Magazinewww.sarahraven.com
Piper tested this Organic Slug Stop Pellet Barrier Pouch. She'd been battling with slugs munching on her herb garden and veggie patch - and it was driving her barmy. Since she used this slug stop, Piper has little problems with the little critters. Not only is it safe around wildlife, but it improves the soil.
Pros
- Safe to use around children, pets and wildlife
- Performs in both wet and dry conditions
- Natural product - suitable for organic gardening
- Contains slow-release nutrients to improve soil
Cons
- May not suit all gardens!
| Quantity | 2.25 kg |
Grow or buy slug-repellent plants
There are a few plants and herb garden essentialswhich slugs don’t like, such as fennel, rosemary, lavender, garlic and onions. All of these give off a smell that slugs hate, so you’ll find them wriggling away in no time. We recommend watering your garden plants in the morning. This top tip from Modern Gardens will help dry out your favourite plants before nightfall; this way, they're less attractive to slugs.
Best flower to deter slugs
Thompson and MorganConsider English Lavender ‘Munstead’ in Pots from Thompson and Morgan. An easy-to-grow-your-own hardy plant for sunny gardens and patios, it attracts bees and butterflies with highly fragrant purple flowers. But, it deters nasty slugs. Thank, goodness. For year-round interest, lavender can be ideal for growing with perennials. It's very low maintenance and easy to grow...
Customers are happy with the health, quality and appearance of their new plants...
Pros
- Low maintenance and easy to grow
- Attracts bees and butterflies
- Woody scent and oily deters slugs
Cons
- Some customers complained about the small pots
7.
Fennel
Best herb to deter slugs
Crocuswww.crocus.co.uk
Treat your garden to fine clouds of feathery, bright green leaves. With a sweet aniseed flavour, Fennel is crowned with yellow flower heads, followed by aromatic seeds. Fennel is the perfect centrepiece for a sunny herb garden. An invaluable border plant, the foliage provides a delicate foil against which the flowers of herbaceous plants and bulbs can be seen. And, it can help deter slugs, also.
Pros
- Fast-growing and fully hardy
- Perfect centre-piece for a herb garden
- Can help deter slugs
Cons
- Make sure to keep it in full sun!
How to get rid of slugs in the house
It’s never a nice surprise to wake up and find a slimy trail on your kitchen floor left by a slug or, even worse, stepping on one. Slugs usually venture into our homes because they want something, like warmth or shade. Here are a few ways you can prevent them from outstaying their welcome with the best natural slug repellent...
Copper tape
When slugs slide onto copper tape it creates a small electrical charge that deters the slugs away from them. Put a strip of copper tape by the door as a barrier and any other entrance points that you think slugs may be able to enter. You can also put this around your plant pots too.
Best copper tape
DOMTEK / AmazonA great way to stop slugs attacking your veggies and plants without introducing poisons or chemicals into your garden. This DOMTEK Copper Tape is fantastic - and natural, too. Line areas in your home, plant pots and raised beds to keep slugs far far away. This is a very popular solution in and outdoors.
Salt
Salt kills slugs as it draws the water out of their skin and they die within minutes of dehydration. So if you’ve found a slug trail in your home, follow it back to its starting point and lay down some salt. It may not be the most humane method, but it will certainly solve the problem.
Reseal windows and doors
As we mentioned at the start, slugs have no bones in their bodies and therefore can squeeze through the tiniest of spaces, including cracks in windows seals and doors. Check that there are no holes or cracks in any of your windows and doors and if there are reseal them to prevent slugs from entering.
Piper Huxley is a Homes, Garden and Wellness Product Writer for Yours, an all-rounder who will write on anything from décor to wellness. When not scouring the net for the best home bargains, Piper is listening to a musical soundtrack and tending to her houseplants.