Control: Handpicking

This method of slug extermination is strictly for the non-squeamish. Fix a hat pin, or similar needle-like item, to a stick, binding it tightly with string. Then simply go round the garden spearing your slugs like the man collecting litter in the park. The slugs can be transferred to a container of salt or boiling water to finish them off. It sounds rather horrible, but at least, if you are worried, you can be sure that in this way they have a quicker death than would be the case with any of the poisons. One can become quite hard-hearted when an expensive and long-sought hosta is turned to lace the night after planting.

This technique can be surprisingly successful. Whereas a beer trap might catch a dozen or so slugs in a week, you can easily kill a couple of hundred an hour by searching. The greatest number are usually to be found on the lawn and pathways rather than on the soil itself. If your don’t mind remarks about your waning sanity, you could even mow the lawn at night – you would kill slugs by the thousand! There might be lighting and safety problems, however, so take care – and warn the neighbours. Also, beware wandering amphibians which will also be hunting slugs at night.

Product: Slug picker upper