my friends use the bottle of beer theory.

I think I've tried all but the coffee-no doze. Last year they were so bad that when you walked through the hostas they stuck to my jeans. After there was nearly nothing left of the hostas I got desperate and mixed ammonia, dish soap and water, sprayed everything I could with the mix. I figured it could do no more harm that what was already done. This year they came back great and so far no more slugs. I will try the coffee, no doze if I see them this year. Seems to much easier and less bad smell. Beer does work but my dog loves it so I have to cover it up so she does not get into it. Good luck in getting rid of them.

Looks like a bumper crop!!

Did ths ammonia mixture work? And did you spray the ground or the plants?
What proportions of ammonia, soap and water do you mix up?

The beer suggestion is what I was going to give you. Good luck!

How much salt does it take to kill the ground?

yes it worked! The leaves looked pretty burned but they were already a real mess. If I remember right I had a 2 gal sprayer in which I put 1 cup ammonia, 1 cup dish soap and filled with water. I sprayed the ground and everyting i could get to on the plants, right down into the whorl of the leaves. I did all the plants over 200 I figured I was going to have to destroy them anyway so had little to lose. If you are worried just do a couple of the ones you feel you can afford to lose. good luck

put a pan of beer out and the snails and slugs will go in and drown - I usually use a disposable tin pie plate and throw the whole mess away and then start again with more beer and a new pan. Good luck - they are miserable- had more in Seattle than I could count!!

Don't waste beer like that! LOL

Here are a few suggestions I found in a book I have - "1001 All-Natural Secrets to a Pest-free Property":

*Steep crushed garlic cloves in a solution of 3 tablespoons Ivory liquid dish soap or Dawn Liquid dish soap and 2 cups boiling water. Strain & place in spray bottle. Spray over plants; repeat after rainfall.

*Sprinkle dry cornmeal around base of plants - bugs will eat it & not survive

* Mix 1/2 cup salt with 1 cup all-purpose flour. PLace in jar with perforated lid or small burlap sack. Sprinkle powder over the plants early in morning when dew is still on the plants.

*Pour beer in a tin pie plate near the plants - slugs will drink it & not survive.

*Different pest - I mix Tobasco sauce, turmeric, dish soap & water, strain well (turmeric can plug spout) and put in spray bottle. I spray my flowers to keep deer from chewing up all the blossoms.

I'm not in favor of killing all garden pests, but some would kill all the food I put up from the garden if we didn't practice common sense about getting rid of the garden-destroyers.

Looks like a major infestation. Call in the ducks!!!

Try mixing some household ammonia in water (1/2 cup to a quart of water) and spray them with a spray bottle or garden sprayer. They spit green foam and die. The diluted mixture doesn't hurt your plants but it sure kills the slugs and snails. Works for me when they eat my iris and violets.
Good luck!

salt will kill the slugs, but it will kill the plant too!

Bury a small plastic container (or glass jar) up to the rim in a inconspicious spot in your garden, pour in cheap beer - maybe 3/4 full.

Slug will migrate to the beer, fall in and drown happy.

Put a couple of pie tins of beer out there. They crawl in, get drunk and can't get out. Or sprinkly with a lot of salt

Anybody know what it costs to rent a duck these days?

CD in Oklahoma

I've heard the beer in a lid works best. They get drunk and drown. The salt burns them to death.

The other thing to try is the dirt you buy for pool filters. Diatomaceous earth. It has very sharp particles and the slugs and snails don't want to crawl over it.

That's what we do. Atleast they die happy. :roll:

My ducks looooved slugs! They would come running from across the yard if I called them and I'd have to watch my fingers as they snatched the nasty things from my hands (but I hated the super-sticky slime handling slugs left). We used to have monster slugs, but after a year of duck patrol, I could barely find little ones for them. I found a bigger, better home for my ducks (with a pond) last summer, and I really have noticed the increase in slugs (and crane flies) this year without them rummaging about in the yard.

Do ducks eat snails too? Or do they not like the crunchy shells?

I had so many in my yard that I finally had to resort to snail poison....I really didn't want to, but I had a dozen or so milkweeds growing for the Monarch caterpillars and the snails just ate them down to the ground...I came out one night after a rain and there had to be hundreds.....I had to pull up all my ground covers because they had whole communities under them......I still feel bad about the poison, but I haven't seen any since....

Yes, we are having the same problem out here. All the snails and slugs you couldn't possibly count....and they are eating all my flowering plants!! EEEKKKK!!! I have been picking them off my irises and other bulb plants. Early in the morning they crawl out onto the grass for water, and I go out and squish them! I hate snails & slugs!!!

Go to the 'big box store' and get a couple containers of salt. Sprinkle your garden, and wait.

I tried just about all of these and nothing really worked long term...

Try getting a duck. Ours used to keep the garden well picked up.

Yeah... what IS it with the iris plants that they like to crawl on them so much? And the daylily leaves, and the spiderworts. Ok, the spiderworts I understand, because the flowers only last a day and then it is "yum" mollusk dinnertime!

I squished 132 snails last night. That was just in the vegetable garden. (Ok, I counted because it was a boring task.)

Surely there is a better way to end one's day!