Copper versus snails & slugs.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Has anyone tried using copper bands to repel snails and slugs.

The reason I ask is that being in the heating industry I get loads of copper pipe and was thinking of knocking something up to protect my beds.

Colin

[Thelma Sanders]

slugs would come up through the earth in the beds, though

I've used copper rings around individual plants with a lot (but not total) of success, though cos surface slugs and snails won't go over the cooper rings which are about 2 ind deep.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Thanks for the thought. Fortunatly the beds are on concrete so once they are clear I should not have that problem. I was thinking of one set around the outside of the base of bed and a further one a round the perimeter on the compost.

As long as I know that they work to some extent I think it might well be worth the effort to see what happens.

Thanks Colin

[Snadger]

Supposedly works on electrolysis I believe the slug gets a minute electric shock because of the reaction between slime (electrolyte) copper & summat else?(anode & cathode?)

[VirginVegGrower]

I use a copper trowel - have had less slime but not sure whether it's just coincidence. The metallurgist in my life can't scientifically back it up!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Snadger now that I understand now you have explained it the light comes on.

Thanks mate Colin

[VirginVegGrower]

Supposedly works on electrolysis I believe the slug gets a minute electric shock because of the reaction between slime (electrolyte) copper & summat else?(anode & cathode?)

Copper = anode
Slug/snail = cathode

[horticultural_hobbit]

I used copper tape. Was expensive, so I'm
Not sure I'd use it again. Got damp and came off the grow bags that i had.And with containers, rather than put it around the base, I put it on the edges. that seemed to work. The containers with tape around the rim did all right.

[vegnut]

Two rows of copper wire with a nine volt battery connected does the trick.

[VirginVegGrower]

I prefer land mines as an idea for slug deterrent

[oldie]

The only way it works is as vegnut says. There are some video's on you tube showing slugs happily crawling across ordinary copper tape but not over the electrified ones.

[blue411]

Ive used the tape and to be honest it was pants.... i wouldnt use it again. Definately got the feeling the slugs were laughing at me.

[chris]

The slugs around us just climb over the copper tape. Even roughly filed pipe I found they crossed - so for me, it doesn't work.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Supposedly works on electrolysis I believe the slug gets a minute electric shock because of the reaction between slime (electrolyte) copper & summat else?(anode & cathode?)

That's my understanding also Snadge. Mind you Colin, with the price of scrap copper the way it is, would you not be as well flooging some copper to a scrap merchant and investing the proceeds in nematodes?

[Rabidbun]

I had spare copper tape and put a line of it all the way around the tops of my raised beds. Had very little slug or snail issues this year in those beds (though the dry conditions helped). The pots around the garden with no tape though were selectively decimated on and off.

I also have copper rings (around 6 inches diameter and two inches high) around the plants I really need to keep and have never had a slug or snail eat those.