How to Keep Slugs Out your Garden

If there is one creature that gardeners love to hate, it's the slug. These slimy mollusks seem to thrive on nothing more than eating away the fruits of our labor while we sleep. But taking a few key steps can help discourage these pests and allow your plants to flourish.

Slugs are mostly nocturnal, using the cover of darkness to sneak out and feast on tender plant leaves, flowers and vegetables. By the time dawn arrives, telltale trails of slime are often all that remains to signal their destruction. Home remedies like coffee grounds, crushed egg shells or diatomaceous earth act as barriers these soft-bodied invertebrates don't like to cross. Scatter these substances around plants in a perimeter to help slug-proof your garden.

Moisture is another slug magnet, so removing places for them to hide during the day is important. Clear away piles of debris, leaves or wood where they like to congregate. Firmly pressing mulch down so it doesn't stay loose and damp will also deter slugs from taking up residence. Choosing plants with thicker leaves or hairy textures that are less appealing to slugs can spare them as well.

Barriers and traps provide physical defenses against these pests. Copper strips placed around plants effectively repel slugs without chemicals. Or try floating small wooden boards on the soil at night - slugs will take shelter under them, where they can be collected and disposed of in the morning. Beer in shallow containers buried at ground level also lures and drowns slugs seeking a drink.

With a little diligence, you can beat back the slugs and protect what you've grown. By eliminating their habitat and food sources, along with deploying natural repellents, your garden can finally have the last slime.

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