Slugs and snails are something you will need to deal with at some point in growing pumpkins or gardening in general.
Slugs and snails love eating new growth, they can cause serious problems in a very short period of time.
Stopping them from doing this is a good idea. But what are the options?
The options come down to a couple of factors you will need to choose from.
- What you already have on hand
- How much money you want to spend
- If you want to protect the environment / other animals & small humans
In this post I’ll cover different options. They fall into different categories mentioned above.
Some solutions people swear by, for others they don’t seem so effective. Your mileage may vary, so it pays to try these out yourself. Let me know in the comments below how you stop slugs and snails.
Ways to Stop Slugs and Snails
Going out at night with a torch and finding them.
Pros
- Cheap
- Easy to do
Cons
- Probably not the most effective
- Can be time consuming
- Not for squeamish people
Eggshells
This one comes up a lot. The idea is you crush up eggshells and scatter them around your plants, the sharp edges of the shells make it hard for the slugs and snails to move across.
There are different variations of this, all working on the same principal. Anything you can spread around that has sharp edges is the plan. This could also include broken up shells.
While some people swear this works, other people have said it does nothing at all.
Copper Tape
You put rings of copper tape around your seedlings, when the snail or slug touch these, their slime reacts with the copper and gives them a slight shock. Enough to make them retreat.
Pros
- Could be pricey
- Can last a long time and be reused each season
Cons
- Not as easy to find compared to other options
Coffee Grinds
Coffee grinds are unpleasant to slugs and snails and can help your soil at the same time.
Pros
- Cheap, you can pick up bags of coffee grounds from petrol stations or cafes.
- Coffee grinds are good to help build up a rich soil profile
Cons
- Not good if you also don’t like the smell of coffee grinds
Beer Trap
The idea here is that the slugs and snails are attracted to the beer. It’s in a container below the level of the soil, they fall in and drown.
Pros
- Easy to do
Cons
- You are wasting a beer
- You still have to get rid of the slugs or snails
Slug and Snail Bait
There are different types available. They all work in similar fashion. But it really comes down to price and what else can be effected by this bait.
Blitzem
Pros
- Cheap as to buy
Cons
- Could be dangerous to other animals and small children
- Doesn’t like getting wet, if It rains you will need to apply more
Baysol
Pros
- Not effected by rain
- Long lasting
Cons
- More expensive
These were 2 I came across. There are others out there, so it pays to do your research and see what benefits they offer.
Snail & Slug Bait Precautions
Make sure to read all the details on the back of the packets for slug and snail bait. There are a lot of warnings about withholding periods, waterways, other animals, potential of poisoning etc.
These products are effective in what they do, you will need to weigh up if you want to use them in your pumpkin patch or garden.
Safety Sheet for Blitzem Slug & Snail Pellets can be viewed HERE
Safety Sheet for Baysol Snail & Slug bait can be viewed HERE
Conclusion
There are many different methods to deal with slugs and snails. It pays to see what works for you. What methods have I missed? What method is your go to in controlling these pests of the patch?
Let me know by leaving a comment below.