HomeGarden & OutdoorsDeal with slugs without harming wildlife
Garden & Outdoors guide

Deal with slugs without harming wildlife

Protect seedlings and vegetables from slugs and snails using barriers, traps, timing and natural predators, without risking hedgehogs, birds or pets.

Estimated time: 20–40 minutes to set up, then a few minutes on damp eveningsUpdated: 28 September 2026

Use this guide when holes appear in leaves overnight, seedlings disappear or you see slime trails. You will need a torch, a bucket, and some of the following: copper tape, wool pellets, grit, containers for traps and wildlife-friendly slug pellets if you choose to use them.

Step by step

  1. Confirm it is slugs

    Go out with a torch after dark on a damp evening and look on and under the damaged plants. Slime trails and ragged holes in soft leaves are typical signs. This also shows you where they are coming from.

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