I’ve always loved slugs and snails for their cute storybook-character looks and because they’re just cool creatures. But slugs and snails in the garden eating the things that I want to eat; this I do not love. Because along with those adorable optic tentacles comes a voracious mouth that files through leaves and fruit, ruining it for the rest of us.
While there are all kinds of slug-killing concoctions available, using toxic pesticides is bad for beneficial insects and bad for our waterways. So instead, if you are suffering from an assault of slugs, consider one of these natural alternatives instead.
1. Allow Natural Predators to Thrive
Since invasive species are not fun, we should all be wary of introducing new kinds of creatures to an ecosystem unless they are native and would be there anyway. That said, you can encourage native slug-hungry predators to inhabit your garden. For example, birds love slugs, so you could install a bird bath. Who else likes slugs? Ducks, chickens, nematodes, frogs, salamanders, newts, toads, snakes, turtles,1 hedgehogs, shrews, praying mantises, ground beetles, rove beetles, and fireflies, for starters.
2. Use the Catch-and-Release Method
