Slugs and snails can be deterred with physical barriers -- foil or tape made of copper. When slugs and snails come in contact with the metal, they receive an electrical shock that stops them in their tracks. You can place a copper barrier strip around the whole garden or individual plants. Copper foil is available at nurseries and garden-supply centers and is sold in rolls for about $1 a foot. Here are some tips for installing copper foil: - Wear gloves: copper foil has sharp edges.
- Make sure the flange is on the upper side when you install the foil.
- Use a staple gun to attach the strip to a piece of header board.
- Cut the copper strip to the desired length with pruning shears, and place it on the board with the flanged end above the top edge of the board.
- Fold the flanged edge outward at a 90-degree angle.
- Secure the copper with staples every few inches along the board.
- Keep the copper strip free from overhanging foliage. Snails will use foliage or debris on the copper as a bridge if they can.
A less expensive way to apply copper to planting beds is to use copper tape (figure A). Clean the beds prior to application, and peel off the backing and press along the edges of the raised bed. It, too, will give slugs and snails a little shock that will encourage them to drop the whole idea of climbing insides. If your garden is already beset by snails, you may want to set traps. The following traps are effective ones: - Prop a length of 2" by 4" lumber up on one end so snails can crawl underneath for shelter when daylight arrives. In the morning you can crush them where they're hiding by whacking the board on the ground.
- Sink shallow containers (for example, tuna cans) in the soil, and fill them with beer. Slugs are attracted to beer, and will crawl into the cans and drown.
- Brewer's yeast -- available at most grocery stores -- works well too. Mix 1 teaspoon of the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar into 1 cup water. Stir or shake until the yeast and sugar have dissolved, then place the liquid in a shallow pan or commercial slug traps. Commercial traps have lids that prevent rain from diluting the solution. Check traps frequently for slugs hiding under and around the base or lid.
There are also a variety of manufactured snail traps available, including a plastic model that you press into the soil. Then you add water and a mix that's mostly cornstarch, barley, yeast, and sucrose. Slugs will climb through the plastic gates at the sides, and be unable to come back out again (figure B).
| 
)
)
)
)
