A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Plant pests and problems How to protect seedlings from slugs?

My seedlings are being eaten by slugs, in 2 days a single slug almost ate an entire sunflower seedling, if any more come there will be nothing left. I picked it off, it was a tiny dark gray color slug, it was "biting" me after I picked it up. I put plastic fencing (no gaps in it) around the seedlings, so unless the slugs climb over the fencing they cant get to my seedlings. I even put lettuce out so the slugs eat that instead of my seedlings.

Slugs suck. Sorry for the language. Try

1) Diatomaceous earth

2) Ashes; if you have any sort of fireplace/pit/grill whatever, sprinkle the ashes around your plants

3) Beer. Slugs are attracted to beer, so set out little saucers filled with (cheap) beer & the slugs come & drown in it.

There are chemical controls, but the above should work if you are diligent. One other thing, they seem to come out at dusk, so if you can go outside at that time, your odds of picking them off are greater.

Good luck!

Egg shells crushed and placed around the plants will stop the slugs. It will cut their bellies open.They will not cross the egg shells. It will also add good calicum into the garden.