Slugs entering home from under floor (?)

FreshlyCutFlowers

Hello again forum, I'm a bit worried about this one, hope someone has any wise words to share.

I purchased a terraced Victorian(?) home and last autumn when it got cold I had 4 big slugs entering my home over 2 days. I followed the trail to a gap in the floor where the radiator pipe comes up from the floor and goes into the radiator.
I taped over the hole, around the pipe, but just today another little slug had come up which I guess is understandable since they can squeeze through tight gaps..

I'm really worried that all year around there are slugs living under my house or even in it? causing damage that will be discovered at some point.. what do I do? Do I need to pull the floor up?

There is a ventilation brick at the front of my house, and one at the back just around the place where this radiator exists.. I sometimes see slug trails outside that ventilation brick in the back as well.
The floor is raised from the ground I think? It's a step 'up' from my kitchen which is directly on concrete whereas the floor where the snails come up is the old original height and higher than the outside ground.

Any help appreciated. First time I've been really worried that I may have gotten a house with some big undetected/hidden problem.

FreshlyCutFlowers

I have found some sort of copper mesh on amazon, 6 meter for £12.
Would placing this over the air brick holes be of help? Will that also stop the air brick from properly ventilating under my house? I assume its damp under there since snails are there.. I'm feeling unwell at the thought of hundreds of snails living under my floor due to damp..

I have a 3 year old child so I'd rather not put any poisons around as you never know when they pick it up to eat it..
There's also quite a lot of snails in my garden which is next to this brick, I assume they like the grass and flowers.

There's also copper ribbon I can place around the air brick, maybe just glue it to the wall with some gorilla glue? Not sure how else I'd attach it.

Or do I just pour salt down the hole? I'm afraid that adding salt down into a hole just creates other problems.. I assume snails down in the hole would die and potentially make a stench or attract other bugs to eat the dead slugs?

I don't understand how the previous owner didnt do something about this.. Or maybe they did but removed the preventative measures before viewing to give buyers a peace of mind? Or am I doing something specifically to attract these slugs.. maybe there is a leak in the radiator pipe? going a bit crazy thinking about it

Simonon77

They are only slugs and snails. They aren't going to cause any damage to the property so don't panic!

A fine mesh over the air bricks will be fine, as long as it is fine enough to stop slugs being able to get through it it will still allow air through. Gluing to the brick should work ok. 

Seal around the radiator pipe more securely and they won't be able to get in that way.

But most importantly don't worry too much. They won't damage the house and EVERY house has some bugs and things in it somewhere.

Birds, frogs, toads and hedgehogs love to eat slugs so do what you can to encourage these into your garden and they will take care of a lot of the,  

Bigphil1474

We live in a 1910's through terrace and regularly get slugs in the kitchen in autumn/winter. We just get rid and move on. Our kitchen is a suspended floor, whereas the front room isn't, so presumably they come up from the cellar. Would be impossible to make the house slug proof, so we just deal with them as and when (maybe once or twice a week when it gets cold).

For info, you can get slug traps that don't use poison. You probably won't get snails in the house as they can't squeeze through tiny gaps.

Postik

As someone else said above, seal the hole better inside (silicone sealant perhaps) and then glue mesh to the airbrick outside.  This should stop them.  If you still get the odd intruder don't worry too much as they won't cause any damage.

My parents have air bricks around the outside of their house with quite large holes in, and my dad glued a mesh over the top to stop mice getting in.

As for any slugs that die underneath your house, they will shrivel away and decompose to nothing.  There will always be a variety of dead creepy crawlies underneath floors and in the cavity of our houses.  If you smashed a wall or floor open you wouldn't expect it to be pristine, it would generally be dusty and grimy.

sevenhills

If there are slugs, actually living down below and not coming in from outside. Slugs like damp places and it should be dry underneath the house.

I have an elderly relative with the same issue, no one seems bothered.

Chloe_G

Last couple of years we have had a few slugs in the upstairs bathroom which appear from underneath the coving and seem to be living in the ceiling! Absolutely revolting.

Postik

Hmmm strange actually because I've never once in my life had a slug inside the house, but after replying to this thread, this afternoon I went downstairs and found a small slug next to the front door inside.  I have a solid concrete floor and a composite door that seals closed (no gaps).  There's no way the door has been open long enough today for the slug to quickly crawl in.  The only explanation is that someone posted it through the letterbox.

double_dutchy

Postik said:The only explanation is that someone posted it through the letterbox.

I've heard of snail mail but that's ridiculous!!

twopenny

I fouund slugs on the carpeted  floor in my old house.
Eventually I worked out they came in on my shoes. Or in some cases the dog or cat over the years.

Twice I had a frog but an outside door was open . They liked the cool tiles round the fire place. Darned sight harder gettin a lively frog out than a slug   

DRP

The only house where I’ve had slugs was due to damp soil under the suspended floor and bad ventilation. 

Digging out the floor and concreting it all up solved the problem!