How to kill slugs with salt without harming plants

Are there glistening traces of slime on plants in your home or garden? Many irregularly shaped holes are bitten out of plant leaves? These may be masterpieces of slugs. You may have heard that salt can kill slugs, but before you take action, you should understand some precautions to confirm whether this is the right choice. The following will answer some frequently asked questions to help you eliminate slugs in your home and yard.

Question1: Why do slugs die when they touch salt?

Salt absorbs water from the slugs, causing them to become dehydrated and die.
The skin of slugs is very thin and soft and cannot provide them with much protection. When the slug touches the salt, it secretes more mucus and tries to clean the body. After a few minutes, when they cannot secrete enough mucus to protect themselves, they will be completely dehydrated and die.

Question2: Can salt be used to kill slugs on plants?

No, salt can damage plants and affect the acid-base balance of the soil.
Salt may burn the leaves, stems and flower buds, so don’t sprinkle it near your beloved plants. When salt dissolves in the soil, it may also absorb water from the roots of plants and kill the entire plant. It is best to catch the slug to another place, away from your baby plants.
If it is a potted plant, you can sprinkle a ring of salt around the pot, but they are easily washed away and look a little messy.

Question3: How to get slugs off plants?

1. Place a wooden board on the damp soil overnight to create a hiding place for the slugs.
In the evening, water a piece of soil and place a wooden board or cardboard box on it. Use a brick or stone to prop up one corner of the plank to leave some space between the plank and the soil. The plank must be as close to the ground as possible to allow slugs to climb up. The next morning, turn the board over and you will see many slugs hiding there. You can scratch or scrape them off.
Slugs need a hiding place where they can hide from the sun, otherwise they will die from the sun.

2. Go out at night to catch slugs.
Go to the yard in the evening to water the plants infested by slugs. When the sky darkened, he came to the yard again with a flashlight and gloves. Check for slugs under the leaves, grab them with your hands and gather them together.
If you don’t have gloves and don’t want to catch slugs with bare hands, you can use pliers to pick them up.

Question4: How to kill slugs with salt?

1. Sprinkle salt directly on the slugs to prevent them from moving.
Any salt will do. Every time you catch a slug from a plant, you only need to take a small handful of salt and sprinkle on them. Slugs will start to writhe or secrete more mucus, which is normal. Within a few minutes, they will be completely dehydrated and die. Put the body of the slug in a plastic bag and throw it away.
Slugs secrete a lot of mucus when they are about to die, which may stain the floor or the ground. It’s best to find a place for this step outdoors, away from all plants or surfaces you don’t want to stain.

2. Throw the slug you found into the salt water.
Mix salt water in a plastic container with a lid. The ratio of salt to water is 1:7. Every time you catch slugs, throw them in and close the lid. Let it sit for at least 2 days, then throw the container into a plastic bag with other garbage.
Slugs can carry a dangerous parasite called lung nematode, so don’t throw it in the compost.

Question5: Is it cruel to kill slugs with salt?

Slugs have pain receptors, so it may be very painful for them to touch salt.
Some studies have shown that slugs, snails and other molluscs are painful, so it is inhumane to kill them with salt. Have you ever accidentally got salt in your eyes? Do you remember the painful feeling? When slugs are sprinkled with salt, they may feel similar to this.

Question6: What else can be used to kill slugs?

1. Use beer to trap and drown slugs.
Put some beer in a deep bowl or container and bury it in the yard with the bowl mouth about 2.5 cm above the ground. The smell of fermented beer attracts slugs, which fall into the container and drown quickly. Check the container the next day and empty the slugs inside.
Refill beer every few days to keep it fresh.

2. Use beneficial nematodes in the soil to infect and kill slugs.
Beneficial nematodes are microorganisms that live in the soil, and the bacteria they carry can infect pests. You can buy some useful nematodes at a local gardening supply store and mix with water according to the instructions on the package. Beginning in spring, the nematodes are applied to warm, humid soil in the evening.

3. Feed the slugs with rice bran so that they will swell and be eaten by the birds.
Sprinkle some pure rice bran in the soil around the plants to prevent slugs from getting close to the plants. After eating rice bran, they swell and become slightly dehydrated, making it difficult to move. When the bird sees the slug struggling to leave, it will never let go of these easy-to-get foods.

Warning

Slugs may carry a parasite called rat lung nematode, and it is best to wear gloves or use pliers when grasping them. X