Moved up North Canada two years ago along the coast and the slugs and snails are intense. Tried many different things, even my favorite of burying a container with beer in it doesn't work that great, it gets some of the slugs but a few always get by. The snails it does not work at all for. Talking with an old hippy buddy about it and he tells me he uses Birch tar mixed 2 to 1 with vaseline. Lightly brush the bottom of the stalk. It repels snails and slugs for around 2 months and does not wash off. I had a hard time finding it, seems very few people sell the stuff, and it needs to be real tar not essential oil. Finally found some at Otzis Pouch - Rare and Traditional Birch Bark Products and ordered an ounce. To my surprise it works, and very well! I used to find 5+ slug and snails on my plants each morning, it has been a few days now and since I put this mix on I have found 0 on any plant. My guesstimation is that this ounce would be enough to do hundreds of plants. Just wanted to share that as it is a problem that has been driving me nuts. Snails and slugs do huge damage very quickly.
I use those copper scrubby pads that you get in grocery stores. Pull them apart and wrap them around the bottom of a plant. A package will do 12 plants. Worked great for me this year. They were only a couple bucks
Yeah, those work really well. I pull 'em apart, roll 'em into a tubular shape and then encircle the plant base with 'em, kind of like a barrier fence. Reusable and alot cheaper than that copper tape. Previously, I had tried the same technique using thorny stems of native plants - Devil's Club, Black Cap and Salmon Berry bush - but with only limited success. I abandoned that, after I saw a big, black slug - without a care in the world - climbing up the thorny stalk of a Devil Club plant one wet, spring day!
