How to Repel, Kill or Trap Slugs and Snails in the Urban Garden
Struggling with slugs eating your lettuce, basil or dahlias? Here’s a complete guide to effective ways to control snails and slugs in gardens — with tips for vegetable growers, pet owners, and organic gardeners.
Natural enemies
MethodHedgehogs
DescriptionNatural slug eaters that are active at night.
AttractionCreate dense hedges, leave piles of wood and avoid slug pellets that can poison the trees.
Organic: ✔️
Pet-friendly: ✔️
MethodFrogs & Toads
DescriptionLike moist environments and eat snails.
AttractionCreate a small pond or provide moist, shady spots.
Organic: ✔️
Pet-friendly: ✔️
MethodLeather Slug Ground Beetles
DescriptionThe Cychrus caraboides is a nocturnal beetle that hunts young snails and snail eggs in the soil. They mainly live in woodland, so provide mulch and rotting branches. Click here for source info
AttractionAvoid digging often; put mulch or stones as shelter.
Organic: ✔️
Pet-friendly: ✔️
MethodBlackbirds & Thrushes
DescriptionThese birds break open snail shells and eat them. Suitable for semi-natural gardens.
AttractionAdd bird feeders, water bowls and shrubs or trees for nesting.
Organic: ✔️
Pet Friendly: ✔️
MethodChickens & Ducks
DescriptionGreat slug hunters in larger gardens, but can also damage plants.
NoteAllow them to roam in the garden under supervision or use mobile chicken coops.
Organic: ✔️
Pet-friendly: ✔️
MethodNematodes (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita)
DescriptionMicroscopic nematodes that infect slugs in the soil. Works well in humid weather.
NoteApply to moist soil; effective in spring and fall.
Organic: ✔️
Pet Friendly: ✔️
MethodTiger Slug (Limax maximus)
DescriptionThe Limax maximus is a slug that eats fungi and dead plant material, but also hunts other, living slugs.
AttractionTiger slugs prefer damp, shady areas with lots of organic material. You can attract them by:
- Leaving logs, leaves, or rocks in a quiet corner of the garden.
- Not tidying up too much—leopard slugs love a bit of a mess!
- Offering rotten wood or compost as a hiding place and sometimes as a food source.
Organic: ✔️
Pet Friendly: ✔️
Physical barrier
MethodCopper tape or mesh
DescriptionProvides a mini-shock when touched, which deters slugs. Effective around pots or raised beds.
UsePlace around pots, raised beds or the entrance to the greenhouse.
Organic: ✔️
Pet Friendly: ✔️
MethodCrushed eggshells or gravel
DescriptionThe sharp texture irritates the snail’s soft body and keeps them at bay.
UseSprinkle a thick layer around vulnerable plants.
Organic: ✔️
Pet Friendly: ✔️
MethodWool Pellets
DescriptionForms a rough barrier and draws out moisture, which repels slugs.
UsePlace a ring of pellets around each plant; reapply after rain.
Organic: ✔️
Pet Friendly: ✔️
MethodCoffee Grounds
DescriptionSlugs don’t like caffeine and the texture acts as a deterrent.
UseUse dry coffee grounds around plants; avoid excessive acidification.
Organic: ✔️
Pet-friendly: ✔️
MethodSeaweed mulch
DescriptionThe combination of salt and structure makes this unattractive to snails.
UseMulch with fresh or dried seaweed around plant beds.
Organic: ✔️
Pet-friendly: ✔️
MethodDiatomaceous earth
DescriptionSharp particles damage the skin of snails and dry them out. Only use dry.
UseSprinkle on dry soil and reapply after watering or rain.
Organic: ✔️
Pet-friendly: ✔️
Traps
MethodBeer Traps
DescriptionSlugs are attracted to the smell of yeast and drown in the beer.
UseDig containers at ground level and fill with beer.
Organic: ✔️
Pet Friendly: ⚠️ Only safe if pets cannot reach it
MethodGrapefruit or melon peels
DescriptionSlugs hide under them during the day.
UseLay with the cutting edge down and check the trap in the morning.
Organic: ✔️
Pet Friendly: ✔️
MethodWooden planks or roof tiles
DescriptionProvide hiding places that you can check daily.
UseLay in infested areas and lift in the morning to remove slugs.
Organic: ✔️
Pet Friendly: ✔️
Repellents
MethodGarlic Spray
DescriptionGarlic is a natural irritant and acts as a snail repellent.
UseMake a concentrate by boiling garlic with water; spray around plants.
Organic: ✔️
Pet-friendly: ✔️
MethodEssential oils (rosemary, thyme)
DescriptionStrong scents confuse and repel snails.
UseMix with water as a spray or use in companion planting.
Organic: ✔️
Pet-friendly: ✔️
Chemical
MethodIron Phosphate Granules
DescriptionToxic to snails but safe for pets and wildlife.
UseSprinkle around sensitive areas, especially after rain.
Organic: ✔️
Pet Friendly: ✔️
MethodBiodegradable Iron Phosphate Granules
DescriptionSimilar to regular iron phosphate, but with biodegradable binders for more environmentally friendly breakdown in the soil.
UseSprinkle around sensitive areas, especially after rain.
Organic: ✔️
Pet-friendly: ✔️
MethodMetaldehyde (traditional)
DescriptionActs on the nervous system of the slug and causes excessive slime production and death. Highly toxic to pets and wildlife.
UseSprinkle around sensitive areas, especially after rain.
Organic: ❌
Pet Friendly: ❌
MethodFerric sodium EDTA granules
DescriptionNewer generation slug bait, more environmentally friendly than metaldehyde.
UseUse sparingly and follow label instructions.
Organic: ❌
Pet Friendly: ️ ⚠️ Partly
