I've heard about the beer trick too, and yeah, it works...but honestly, isn't it kind of a waste of good beer? I mean, there are other effective methods like copper tape or crushed eggshells that don't involve sacrificing your favorite brew. Plus, beer traps can get pretty gross to clean out after a few days. Have you tried any of these alternatives, or are you strictly team beer?
I've tried copper tape before, but honestly, my results were pretty mixed. Maybe it depends on the type of snails or slugs you've got around? I found that after a few rainy days, the tape lost its effectiveness and started peeling off—kind of annoying to keep replacing it. Crushed eggshells worked better for me, but you need a ton of them to cover larger areas, and if you're not careful, they can attract other critters looking for leftovers.
Have you considered diatomaceous earth? It's natural, easy to sprinkle around your plants, and doesn't involve sacrificing any beer (which I agree is a shame). The only downside is you have to reapply after heavy rain, but that's true for most methods anyway. Curious if anyone else has had luck with it...
"Have you considered diatomaceous earth? It's natural, easy to sprinkle around your plants, and doesn't involve sacrificing any beer (which I agree is a shame)."
Haha, agreed—wasting beer always feels like a gardening tragedy! I've tried diatomaceous earth myself, and while it worked fine for short stretches, I found myself reapplying it constantly after rainstorms. It got a bit pricey over time, especially for larger garden beds.
One thing that's been surprisingly effective for me (and pretty budget-friendly) is coffee grounds. I started collecting them from my morning brews and even asked a local café—they're usually happy to give away their used grounds. Sprinkling them around the plants seems to deter slugs quite well, plus it's great for the soil too. Only downside is my garden smells like fresh espresso for a few days... though that's not exactly a hardship, haha.
Might be worth giving it a shot if you're looking for something cheap and easy.
Coffee grounds sound intriguing, but don't you find they wash away with rain too? I tried them briefly and noticed they clumped up and got moldy after wet weather. Weirdly enough, crushed eggshells have been my go-to lately. They're free (assuming you eat eggs), easy to scatter around plants, and slugs seem to hate crawling over them. Plus, it feels good giving kitchen scraps another purpose...
"I tried them briefly and noticed they clumped up and got moldy after wet weather."
Same here, coffee grounds turned into a moldy mess real quick. Eggshells definitely sound interesting though, might give that a shot next... lord knows I've got enough from weekend breakfasts. Thanks for the tip!
