Hmmmm. Slugs eat coffee grounds around here! As for the caffeine....studies have shown that a spray made out of a very high percentage of caffeine kills slugs, and there are probably commercial products out there. But you can't brew it up yourself, strong enough, that is. I suspect if your slugs are repelled by coffee grounds, it is because they don't like the feel of them. There is really nothing in the grounds that would repell them. I wonder if you are talking about fresh coffee grounds and not used???? Another myth about coffee grounds is that they have an acid reaction......and they don't! Much of the acid in coffee ends up in your cup and is leached from the grounds. Coffee grounds are basically neutral, but still an excellent addition to the compost pile. Worms love 'em!

Linda, I microwave them because we have raccoons and other beasties in the night that might be attracted to the eggs if I didn't wash them and sterilize them. I like the iron phosphate tip. I will get some tomorrow. I have begun adding more hostas to the gardens now and saw my first slug in ages just last week, so I want to stay ahead of them! I never saw any that hatched in the crowns-ugh! You are right though about the look of the shells and I suspect the idea may get old very quickly now that my hosta numbers have increased. Thanks for the advice! Cynthia

I used to have snails. Now I have slugs. But the controls, I believe, are pretty much the same. If you're not willing to go on nightly snail raids or set up beer traps (google "slugs" and "beer" and you'll probably get lots of good hits, plus maybe a few about guys watching televised sports), you can go get a product like Sluggo. It's iron sulfite or something like that, and it's not toxic to much beyond slugs and snails--it eventually breaks down and might actually be good for the soil. I don't think slugs and snails munch all that much on roots (unless they're semi-exposed like through the drainage holes of a pot) so much as eat tender foliage, but I could be wrong on that.

I would say anything sharp or porous will deter slugs.. ..everything works to a certain extent... multiple tactics work best... I've never heard of pecan shell mulch.. but then again I'm a little green... I know pine straw/needle mulch, lava rock, egg shells, copper, coffee grounds, diatomaceous earth(food grade), spot spraying with a solution of 90 percent water 10 percent ammonia, fermenting traps, beer traps, and both types of commercial slug baits all work to a certain extent. If you have a major infestation... and you are entirely concerned, OCD, the best thing for slug removal IMHO is removing all mulch, leaf litter, rocks and anything solid they could move over or hide under... basically down to bare soil.. and keep the soil cultivated... this gives them nothing to hide under during the day so the slugs have another area to hide in... and the cultivation and removal of mulch and litter will detroy eggs....though one time can't guarantee all eggs and slugs are dealt with... Water only in the mornings and only often enough to keep the top foot of soil moist.... We all unfortunately have to deal with these little devils.... Its the number one enemy lol... buy from reputable sources and you can avoid foliar nematodes and HVX... Slugs are a different story.... If you like pots.. keep them in pots...I tried a few in pots this year and I didn't care nothing for it... get them established in the ground and you can grow them in more sunlight and water them less... therefore they grow bigger and stronger, faster....plus I'm not a huge fan of potting media...I feel like I should repot potted perennials every year.. which is a hassle...not to mention having to water every other day....I would recommend to anyone to put their hostas in the ground...I know you are from TX and you might be restricted to a bit deeper shade then some of us from Zone 6 or up... and the fact yours are in pots lets you move them in and out of more sun for them to find their happy place... I'd be curious to hear someone from TX with experience with Texan Slugs chime in... Happy Slug Huntin John