Slugs indoors. Help!!!

Mado

We live in the country in a very old house and I have found slugs inside my living room at night.
I know there are regular visitors as you see the dried up trails on the rugs in the morning :eek:
I tried putting salt on the door frame where I thought they were coming in but as it is rather humid I did more damage to my wooden floor than stopped them. Also I am quite unsure where they come in.
Could they be living under the floorboards?
Any suggestions for non invasive remedy?

in_my_wellies

We have just the same problem. Silver trails across the sitting room carpet, up the walls and then one morning right acroos the chimney breast. But can we ever find them, no. I've been down at night to see if I can catch them but no, not early at any hour. My OH suggested slug pellets but when they die from those they froth and I couldn't stand that in the house.
Suggestions wecome please.

researcher

We had the same problem last year - attack the area where there is most trails - try scattering sharp sand or dried crushed egg shells around the skirting boards and anywhere where the trails seem to come from (before you go to bed - you can hoover it up in the morning). Slugs hate rough surfaces, and they'll try and avoid them. What they like is a sweet drink like beer or cola, so make a slug trap - put something on the floor with a lip - so it's easy to get in, but hard to get out, so they drown! (You have to use your ingenuity here).

Use slug pellets outside, and you'll get less inside too.

Good luck

Edinburghlass_2

deleted....;)

maryb

I get them in the kitchen in the morning because ther'se a small gap round the back door. DH now wears shoes when he goes down to make early morning cuppa!! In a way that makes it easy - a line of slug pellets just outside the back door sorts it - though I do worry about birds eating the posoned slugs. However when it comes to slugs inside it's war!!.

It is astonishing how far they can travel. You may find that even though you see the slime on the carpet in the living room they have actually come in through the kitchen from outside and if you can stop them there it won't be such a problem

2005CLAIRE

I had the same problem and bought some Copper tape that gives the slugs a little shock - it doesn't kill them it just stops them crossing the threshold if you put the tape along your doorframe floor.

I got mine from eBay. It was recommended by a garden programme :O)

Hope this helps - my poor mum has a phobia about slugs so I have had to put it everywhere before she would stop overnight.


It worked 100%

Mr_Skint_2

Catch them and dry them out then.

Invite your local MP around and offer them to him as a delicious
liqourice treat after tea and biscuits.

Mado

Mr_Skint wrote:

Catch them and dry them out then.

Invite your local MP around and offer them to him as a delicious
liqourice treat after tea and biscuits.

What a splendid idea!
Would you care to join us?
Just give a date and we'll try to fit you in! :beer:

Mado

Edinburghlass wrote:

Some other threads on slugs!

slugs

How do you kill yours? Not for the squeemish!

Slugs!!!! and other ugly bugs

slugs in my kitchen,,,yuck

The last link is the most recent to be found in In My Home board, as it says on the tin its for anything to be found in the home, although I guess most people would prefer not to have slugs In My Home

Thanks

I don't visit the In my home board (silly habits).

Thanks you all.... will try the advice and I feel much better knowing it's not just my house they are picking on.
I did walk on one early in the morning... not a nice experience...

2005CLAIRE

Just a quick thing I forgot to say-if you DO use the copper tape - WEAR GLOVES - I cut my finger badly when I ignored the instructions - the strips are VERY sharp - they don't look it, but they ARE. )

Pal

Slug pellets don't make them froth up. They surpress their appetite so that they stop feeding. They just crawl underground and die.

You can also get "organic" slug pellets that are iron based (rather than aluminimum) - these don't harm children or pets. (I think the reason they are not labeled as organic is because they haven't been through the certification process yet). B&Q sell them and they work a treat, even in the garden! (Now there is an outlandish thought).

If you want to make slugs froth up then put a dish of beer in the room surrounded by a circle of salt. Alternatively put the salt in the beer and watch the slugs drown and froth up at the same time.

Alternatively use the organic slug pellets, cook with the salt and drink the beer.

Personally I don't bother with gloves when I handle copper tape. If you are concerned I suggest practicing with a sheet of A4 paper. When you can hold it for 10 minutes without getting paper cuts, you are probably ready for glove-free copper tape handling.

The OS board living life on the edge!

Can anyone smell vinegar?