Kimmsr, thank you very much. That UC-Davis page was so interesting. Learned lots and lots from it. I have good news. Last night at 8 PM and 10 PM, I spotted only 5 total slugs near the squash, instead of the 30 to 60 I've seen on other nights. So either the slugs' numbers are thinning or they decided to remain inactive last night due to the cooler weather that reached down to 39 or 40 last night, according to WeatherUnderground. The good news is I didn't bother waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning for the first time in 4 nights. And all is well this morning--no new holes in the leaves. But the slugs were active yesterday night, but still no new holes; the flour works really well, especially in conjunction with the slug hunt. I apply a little more flour everyday, and use the protective boxes when it rains to prevent the flower from getting wet. Maybe my 3 squash that remain of the original 4 will survive. The biggest squash attached another runner to the fence yesterday and its 2 smallest leaves seem to be growing again, ever so slightly. I'm hopeful all 3 young squash will pull through :-) I also have another 3 squash growing inside in a styrofoam cup, ready for transplanting into the garden, if the ones outside don't make it, but I think they will thanks to the flour and the thrice-nightly slug hunt. Whew, the 3 squash came so perilously close to buying the farm. Next year, I'll be ready for those slugs, and will apply flour at the first signs of leaf munching, or maybe even before. Kimmsr, I loved the copper tape and copper foil barriers suggested by the UC professor. I may try that sometime too. Anyone know how copper tape and foil compare to the flour? The flour is pretty good. Like I said, I only saw about 3 slugs out of 200 (1.5 percent) that could slime their way through the flour. All the other slugs were just hanging out at the flour's edge. Makes me wonder if the flour did more than just stop their forward progression. Maybe the flour injured them somehow too? Anyway, the nightly hunt helped get rid of the few "mutant" slugs that the flour didn't stop.

Yes, roses for sure like coffee grounds. I think it may be the acidity but not sure. My husband has been feeding his brugs leftover coffee and they have not had any pests at all and are twice as big as mine that aren't getting it and I have had insect problems as well. As for slugs I just saw on a gardening show to pile up those sweet gum balls all around hostas and other plants that slugs like and it will keep them off of them. They said you can crush them and apply as top dressing for potted plants.

Horseradish can be quite invasive. It is not really ornamental but not ugly either. I grew and harvested it for several years. Any small piece of root left in the ground will resprout. Never knew it was a slug magnet. The root, ground and blended with a few ingredients makes a great mustard type sauce. BE VERY CAREFUL PROCESSING THE ROOT!

Sluggo works really well. It will completely dissolve in a heavy rain but usually not in a light rain. You don't need to apply all that much and the existing slugs will eat it and then they stop eating your plants and die. I had a couple lettuce plants and part of another get mowed down by slugs in one night. I applied a few pellets of sluggo immediately around each remaining plant and never had anymore damage. I did re-apply it every week or so since.