Jo Thompson’s 7-Step Foolproof Plan For Getting Rid Of Slugs

With the arrival of spring comes cheerful yellow daffodils, billowing branches of blossom and lambs in the fields – along with one rather less welcome seasonal arrival: slugs.

While this time of year brings the joy of life back to our gardens, it doesn’t just appeal to us. Those slippery visitors emerge too, eager to munch their way through the green shoots we’ve been waiting for all winter.

Getting rid of slugs can feel like a never-ending task: nothing ever seems to work and, just when you think you’ve managed it, a nasturtium leaf is freshly nibbled. For many gardeners, figuring out how to get rid of slugs becomes one of the season’s biggest battles.

Santiago Urquijo Zamora//Getty Images

Thankfully, our new gardening columnist Jo Thompson is here to share her knowledge and expertise, having refined her ‘many-pronged defence’ over the years.

“The first step is copper tape,” she says. “I place it along the tops and edges of pots and veg beds, then add a copper mesh fence around the inside.” The copper reacts with the slug slime giving them an electric shock.

To reinforce this initial barrier, she then layers the soil with wool pellets, “especially around vulnerable plants”.

Wool pellets, once soaked with water, expand and create a dense mat around the plants that slugs don’t like to crawl over.

Next come the beer traps, where a slug painlessly meets its end by falling into a shallow bowl of beer nestled into the soil, and then “everything gets a regular spray of nematodes”.

Paul Maguire//Getty Images

Before planting up your containers, Jo also recommends thinking ahead. “A fine mesh or old tights taped over the drainage holes inside pots stops slugs launching a stealth attack from the bottom up.”

Finally, “a night-time hunt with a head torch takes place every evening”, in an attempt to catch those pesky slugs in the act.

And Jo’s very last line of defence is her friendly neighbourhood hedgehog, a frequent visitor to Jo’s garden, who mops up the rest. “I encourage the predators, put up with a little untidiness, and let some plants find their own way.”

Jo Thompson’s 7-step plan to banish slugs:Try copper tapeLayer wool pelletsAdd Beer trapsSpray nematodesAdd meshHeadtorch huntEncouraging hedgehog visitsNatural pest repellentPlantsmith Natural Bug Control Spray for Indoor Plants Credit: amazon.co.ukEcoValley Natural Ant Repellent Spray 500ml

Now 30% Off

Credit: amazon.co.ukWestland Westland Bug Guard RTU 800mlCredit: amazon.co.ukEcoWidow EcoWidow Natural Moth Repellent Spray

Now 30% Off

Credit: amazon.co.ukVNEED Ultrasonic Pest RepellerCredit: amazon.co.uk Natural Solutions Natural Solutions – Wardrobe Cedar Wood HangersCredit: amazon.co.uk

Daisy Bendall is the Houses Editor at Country Living and House Beautiful, where she spends her days sourcing some of the most inspiring homes across the country. Prior to specialising in real homes, Daisy worked for Good Housekeeping, Red, Elle Decoration and Prima, styling shoots, covering the latest decorating trends and hunting down the best buys for your home.