Don’t want to kill slugs, just deter them. Someone suggested mint leaves-dry. He/she didn’t know if it worked when wet. I don’t believe in killing slugs–whenever man invades Nature by killing off it’s creatures, it creates an imbalance somewhere else (as we have SLOWLY learned). Man (and other people) are the worst environmental stewards.

Make sure any overhanging branches or leaves are trimmed away and do not overhang the protected area as these will act as a bridge for slugs to use.Regardless of exactly why it works, I would recommend copper mesh to anyone with a slug problem amenable to a physical barrier who isn’t too concerned about the aesthetics. So pleased, daren’t put anything outside, especially with all the rain we’ve had without the tape. We tried it last year for the first time and it really did work. Thanks again. In the case of the snail we have the copper, and the electrolyte in the form of slug slime.The second electrode is missing. Also missing is the connection between the two electrodes which allows the current to flow. I don’t believe that putting slime onto copper will produce an electric charge. Does Copper Repel Slugs? Use this attractive, dual purpose Butterfly House and Feeder to offer butterflies food in the summer and shelter in the winter.… Other popular methods for getting rid of slugs include coffee grounds, and beer. For more information on these methods have a look at:

Lettuces planted in the ground were found to be more susceptible to slugs, with 5.7% of each eaten on average. This compares to just 0.2% of those in pots, which, despite this advantage, yielded less crop. Hi find copper tape works where the plant is not close to a wall or other plants where slugs and snails can climb/drop/absail across etc. i have a wildlife garden with frogs,toads,sloworms and birds,so don’t use chemicals.In the UK we have pellets made from waste sheep fleece, i surruound young and slug prone plants with this and it forms a mat when wet which slugs and snails don’t like to cross, by the end of the season it breaks down into the soil but by then the plants have toughened up. Environmentally friendly gardeners who attempt to deter slugs and snails from devouring their vegetables with eggshells or copper tape are wasting their time, according to a study by the Royal Horticultural Society.

If I go out at night I will usually see 2-3 slugs oozing circles around the bottom of the barrier but not crossing it. I have seen a slug or two successfully cross it, but it’s rare. If I had to guess I would say I get about 1/20th -1/200th the slug prevalence I used to previously high slug traffic areas I have since “protected”. (tough to say because I am too lazy to count, and I can’t tell how many slugs crossed the barrier vs just live on the other side) The green patina developed on copper metal over time is a copper carbonate salt and could be toxic. As existing lab studies have shown some of the barriers work, and as other experiments by Hayley hinted that copper tape could be effective, she’s not ruling the barriers out completely. She hopes to run the study again ona different slug population and different soil type at RHS Garden, Harlow Carr in 2019. Efficacy and environmental fate of copper sulphate applied to Australian rice fields for control of the aquatic snail Isidorella newcombi Of the thousands of enquiries received by RHS Gardening Advice every year, deterring slugs and snails is atop concern. To ensure we aregiving the best advice on this much-debated topic, we set up a project – Gastropod Barriers– to test whether the most commonly recommended home remedies really work. How we tested the barriers

I’m so chuffed I found this piece of yours! Ha fantastic! Really appreciate the time you’ve taken on the copper tape to pass it on to everyone .How generous of you .Saving us time effort and much needed cash ..I too love anything with Monty Don and sobbed last night after watching Gardeners World to hear Nigel had passed away.I have had a respectable amount of success in slug deterrence using copper mesh as a slug barrier on the outside of wood planters. The mesh is about 5″ wide, which is wider than any of the copper tapes I have seen for sale, and it’s easier to work with compared to the super delicate copper tape I tried, the tape I tried, and it’s easy enough to reuse (although not adhesive on it’s own) Great to see… to add to the video list, I liked this one on the topic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFn9TT_rlXU Regardless of the use of copper strips or electricity, some types of slugs have been know to drop down from overhanging trees or even lower themselves down a slime trail. Uniform Application of Copper Sulfate as a Potential Treatment for Controlling Snail Populations in Channel Catfish Production Ponds Simple test. Fit copper tape round terracotta pot. Place 6 slug pellets on top of pot. Leave over night.

According to the RHS, some slug species have clear benefits for gardeners, such as the leopard slug, which eats fungi and rotting material, helping recycle garden nutrients. Protect your plants from slugs AND snails with these new METAL versions of our best-selling Slug Collars. Available in 2 sizes,… SPECIAL OFFER - These His and Hers Solitary Bee Houses are wall mountable wooden bee houses that have been designed…After tending to the crop for weeks Hayley harvested the lettuces and removed the leaves one by one. She then rated the damage visually and useda leaf area meter for the first time,to record the damage in every square cm of the leaves. The attention to detail in this study, and the use of the leaf area meter, lets us be more precise and confident in the results." What’s next for slug and snail research? My friend suggested garlic water sprayed on the plants and left to dry. Apparently they don’t like the taste. Reapply every 2 weeks. Recipe below. Does this work?