Slug traps - the best thing to put in them?

[littlepooley]

Hi, I have loads of slugs in my garden, was pulling up some plants today and there were loads of little baby slugs everywhere (needless to say they aren't there now lol!) - I've already bought some slugs traps from ebay (they were a right bargain to )as I'm fed up of sprinkling slug pellets and having the soil look funny from blue pellets being all over the place.

I've filled them with some cheap beer that's been watered down a little bit in order to make one can fill all 3 of my traps, I was wondering if anybody had any experience of using this kind of trap? And if so what did you find most effective for catching lots of nasty sluggies?

[Two_Sheds]

I don't use beer traps any more, as they kill (good) beetles and spiders as well as slugs. You could try putting a little stick in them, for the goodies to use as a ladder...

If you use pellets, you shouldn't be carpeting the place with them ... they should be used only around vulnerable (baby) plants, and then placed about 4 inches apart (your packet will tell you)

Midnight patrols with a packet of salt are successful for me.

Whatever you decide, you'll have to employ many different methods at the same time (search through old threads for lots of ideas)

[littlepooley]

Thanks for your advice. The beer seems to have done the trick - got 7 HUGE slugs in one of the traps, which was near the most slug damaged plants, so hopefully those pansies will stand a better chance now (they are tiny compared to the non-damaged ones). Will take on board the advice of a stick in them - hadn't even occurred to me.

Unfortunately, for the slug pellets - I had to put them pretty much everywhere as the slugs round here avoided them otherwise - obviously the soil wasn't completely blue but it didn't look like natural soil, also it was costing a lot of money as with having rabbits, and MIL with dogs who visit had to have the "organic" kind that only killed slugs so wanted to try the beer to save a few quid - you how money is at the moment!