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I've been having a real issue with slugs this year and I'm trying to find a fix for the problem. I've been using beer to catch and kill them but I thought that there's got to be a better way to deal with slugs. My idea is to completely repel them from the garden rather than to deal with catching them...my theory is that coffee and/or caffeine will repel slugs (I've heard this before but I've not seen proof).



This is an experiment that I set up using two pie plates filled with beer. One of them has coffee under it and the other one doesn't. The pie plate filled with beer that didn't have coffee grounds under it caught more slugs (consecutively two nights in a row) than the pie pan that had coffee under it. This leads me to believe that there is something to the rumor that slugs don't like caffeine or coffee grounds.

Next Steps. I'd like to try to move the experiment to a different place in my garden and try it again for a couple of days in a row. I'd also like to try a different type of container to hold the beer. Additionally, I'd like to try using a liquid coffee spray rather than coffee grounds to deter slugs. If this works, I may incorporate a by-weekly coffee spray on the ground around my plants int he garden.

More next time, Wayne.

Very interesting! I'm dealing with a slug problem as well and will be interested to see your results. The beer has been working for me, but if I could deter the slugs from eating some of my baby plants that have been devastated by their attacks, then I might have a better chance of getting them established Thanks for sharing!

I wage a losing battle with snails and slugs. I am also interested to see how your experiment turns out.