How do I control slugs in my hosta bed?

11 years ago

The following are all safe around kids and pets, etc.

Product Name on Label: Escar-go! slug and snail bait
The EPA Registered Name for this product is: Neu 1165m slug and snail bait
Distributor Names...... Complete list of names under which this product is sold. Often a company will register a single product and then sell the same product under many different brand names. The 'Distributor Name' list is a complete list of these names.

Bayer advanced dual snail & slug killer bait ready-to-use W. neudorff gmbh kg
Distributor Product Bonide slug magic makes slugs disappear W. neudorff gmbh kg
Distributor Product Escar-go! slug and snail bait W. neudorff gmbh kg
Distributor Product First choice sluggo snail and slug bait W. neudorff gmbh kg
Distributor Product Garden safe slug & snail bait W. neudorff gmbh kg
Distributor Product Neu 1165m slug and snail bait W. neudorff gmbh kg
Parent Product Sluggo W. neudorff gmbh kg Distributor Product Sluggo - ag W. neudorff gmbh kg
Distributor Product Whitney farms unhappy trails W. neudorff gmbh kg Distributor Product
Worry free (r) brand by lilly miller ferramol (tm) slug & snail bait W. neudorff gmbh kg

Another effective method is to mix a solution of 1 part household ammonia or vinegar to 9 parts water. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and go slug hunting in the moonlight. A quick spray will quickly kill the slimy creatures.

Be persistent in hoeing weeds and breaking up the clods of soil that slugs like to hide under. If you expose their eggs, smash them.

Keep the mulch pulled back from the base of your plants. Apply the mulch after the soil temperatures have warmed to above 75 degrees F.

Keep all old leaves and decaying matter cleaned out of your garden beds on a regular basis. Keep the matter in a compost area, which is far away from the garden.

Used coffee grounds and sharp builder's sand spread around susceptible plants may also work.

Pine needle or wood chip mulch often works well around hostas.

(Adapted from Liz & BigGuy5 on the Hosta Forum)

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Hey Jennifer: I did use Sluggo once but you have to re apply it often. Seemed like a pain for the cost. We have three cats that are into positively anything so I have to use any chemicals if I can help it. So last year I went out and bought a whole bunch of plastic ashtrays from the dollar store. This is for my hosta beds. Once a week I fill up the ashtrays that are hidden behind the hostas with whatever the single cheapest beer is at the grocery. At that time I might rinse out the slug carcasses or I might not. It is just as effective to pour beer in with or without dead slugs (or what's left of them) in the ashtray. I do rinse them out as needed with the hose and then put them back in place. It works great. Furthermore I like the looks on my neighbors faces when I walk around the front yard at 6 a.m. Saturday morning carrying a six pack:) Kate
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rangy, I have both Patriot and Minuteman and the difference is imperceptible to me. That said, a very inexpensive, safe, effective slug control is to spray 2-3 times a week with a 10% household ammonia solution (1 part ammonia, 9 parts water). If it rains then additional spraying may be required. Spray into the crown and all around the area where slugs hide during the day. This method, in addition to killing slugs the ammonia will be broken down by bacteria in the soil (nitrification) and produce nitrates which can be absorbed into plants providing essential nitrogen to plants. I have no way of knowing how significant the fertilizer effect is, but there is no doubt there is some small advantage. So diluted ammonia is cheap, safe and even beneficial. Some people prefer baits for convenience, but ammonia spray for you with your pet concerns would seem to be a very good solution. Jon
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Covering with a pail would only give the slugs a nice cool place to breed and munch at their leisure. I find large slugs basking under my milk cans..that sit on sand in front of DH's shop, or under bricks/rocks that boarder my beds. Slugs can get under ANYTHING. Straight ammonia? Dousing your plant and around its base with a 10% solution of water/ammonia will kill slugs on contact. If you only have a few, I would schedule a dousing every morning EARLY for awhile. In my yard slugs are the biggest nuisance where the plants are in more clay soil. Mulch/statues/decorations give them hiding places. The older the bed, the more FULL the bed the less the slugs. I am guessing that is due to hiding places for the critters that eat the slugs?
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How do I control slugs in my hosta bed?

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