Slug traps actually work

[Dottie]

I've had in the cupboard for at least a year a box containing 2 plastic slug traps (from £1 shop). Anyway yesterday I finally decided to test them out in my front garden, adding a drop of Carlsberg. This morning as I was going out, I thought I'll just have a quick look and to my delight I had 8 in the pots. Put the dead slugs in the bird bath, but not sure if they have been eaten yet or if I should give them to the birds really.

I'm very impressed with 8 dead in 1 night and now wonder if I should go and buy a load more, or just put plastic cups out with larger in. Or is it important to have a lid to stop other stuff falling in and dying?

The Carlsberg I've had in the shed every since I got my lottie, nearly 3 years ago, as I found it in with all the other rubbish I cleared up that was thrown over the fence at the lottie.

Tomorrow I'll be a the supermarket and buying the cheap supermarket lager and going to put traps all over the lottie and a few more in my garden.

[flighty1]

there is no reason why you can't use plastic beakers/yogurt pots etc. However please ensure you leave about half an inch sticking above ground level to stop any beneficial beetles finding their way in & drowning. It also helps to put a few stones around the container to support a lid to keep the rain out.

[Dottie]

I was thinking the lid was to stop other insects falling in, I forgot about the rain.

[Dottie]

I've just put out 2 containers with this recipe. As I had all the ingredients in the cupboard, but will have to go out and buy the beer, I thought I'd do a test tonight and see which containers collect more slugs.

Beer substitute
It's the scent from fermenting yeast that the slug is attracted to. So if the thought of wasting good beer is just too distressing, an equally potent attractant can be concocted from:

■2 cups of warm water
■2 tablespoons of flour
■1 teaspoon of sugar
■½ teaspoon of yeast
...and mix well.

[Comfreyfan]

WARNING

If you find an old ice cream container that you filled with the contents of your slug traps last year to make slug soup (something to do with repelling other slugs I think), DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT take the lid off - I've never seen or smelt anything so disgusting

[Dottie]

I put 5 more containers out in the garden with the yeast mix, have also added some salt, as a different recipe included this.

1st night - I got 8 big slugs and was very impressed.
2nd night - 4 or 5 big slugs and a few babies.
3rd night - 2 big slugs and about 10 babies.
4th night - tonight my additional containers are in the area that I found the baby slugs, as it seems likely that's where all the eggs are. About 4ft apart.

Not sure the snails are getting caught, had 1 or 2 but not as successful as catching slugs. So maybe slugs test the water before going in, or it could be that they float with the shell, which gives them enough time to get out again?

Hence why I've added a little salt!