One of the pests which dominate gardens is slugs. They can be found all over the place and can even be spotted up fairly high. This is why it’s so challenging getting rid of them. So, how high can slugs climb exactly?
Slugs can climb as high as six feet and can climb tree trunks, walls, pots and plants.
Can Slugs Climb Walls?
Slugs regularly enter into different gardens and one of the ways they do that is through climbing. Sometimes gardeners are surprised to find their plants damaged even if they have placed them at a height or in a raised bed.
However, slugs can climb walls and other vertical surfaces. Slugs can also crawl upside down.
This is one of the reasons why slugs also find their way into homes. Slugs are always looking for warmth and moisture, and they make sure they get there.
You may have seen slugs climbing on your house walls. They are doing so because they are looking to get in for a place to live and eat. If you notice slugs climbing on your wall, it would be best to close your windows, vents and fix any door gaps.
While slugs can climb walls, you will not find them on the roof of your home because they cannot reach there. Usually, slugs like to stay close to the ground.
Can Slugs Climb into Raised Beds?
Raised beds in gardens make a wonderful addition until the slugs arrive. Unfortunately, slugs love plants that grow in raised beds. One way or the other, slugs will find their way into raised beds and eat the plants.
However, you can protect plants in raised beds by adding barriers. You can add a fence with a curved edge to ensure the slugs do not enter and fall.
You can also use copper tape at the edge. Copper is known to work against slugs as it interacts with their slime and gives them a jolt. In addition to copper tape, you can also use copper mesh.
How To Stop Slugs from Climbing
If you have been noticing slugs climbing plant pots or beds and destroying your plants, there are a few measures you can take:
Make it Uncomfortable
The first thing you can do is make it uncomfortable for slugs to glide along surfaces. Slugs prefer moist soil, and it aids them in moving swiftly. You can water in the morning, so the soil becomes dry enough at night to repel slugs.
You can also add sharp terrain, which makes it hard for slugs to reach the plants.
An example of sharp terrain includes gravel. You can find different kinds of gravel. In addition, you can also use slate. You can add small pieces of slate near your plants or in areas where you do not want slugs.
Add Strongly-Scented Plants
One of the reasons slugs are attracted to plant pots is that they can smell the plants. However, there are some plants that slugs detest and slugs do not like the scent of strong herbs.
A plant you can add to your garden is lavender. Apart from repelling slugs, it also attracts insects which are beneficial. You can also use lavender essential oil.
In addition to lavender, there is also the option of rosemary. Rosemary remains year-round, and therefore, it is a great plant to have in your garden for repelling slugs.
Sprinkle Animal Hair
Slugs hate the smell of animal hair as it gives the inpression that slug predators are lurking about. You can sprinkle some pet hair in your garden or put them near the plant pots to prevent slugs from climbing there.
The main drawback here, of course, is that a gentle breeze will fairly quickly remove the air you have placed in pots and borders.
Implement Traps
Other than using scents, you can trap the slugs. It is easy to make slug traps at home and they make for a great alternative to using chemicals that cause harm to gardens.
One of the traps you can make is a beer trap. Slugs like beer and are attracted to it. You can take a small container with a hole big enough for slugs and fill it with beer. The slug will be attracted towards the beer and drown in it.
You can also use citrus rinds. Slugs love the smell of citrus rinds. You can leave some rinds outside overnight, and in the morning, the slugs will have collected on them. You can collect the slugs and dispose of them.
Summary
Slugs are great climbers. These slimy pests can climb as high as six feet. You will often see slugs climbing walls. These pests can climb vertically and in the opposite direction. They can even climb upside down!
Slugs love plants that are grown in raised beds. You can prevent slugs from harming the plants by building a boundary around the beds with copper or rounded edges. You can also grow plants that slugs hate.
Slugs can climb at least 20’. They do so most nights on my house and other houses in the street ( I live in West Yorkshire). They follow the same path every time, up by the TV aerial cable or drain pipe. They also climb other houses in the street. The houses are built of a sandstone which is quite soft. It’s always the same type of slug, green and patterned.
Hope this helps.