Monopeds in the house

[blazeno.8]

Ok, this is kind of embarrassing to admit, but I've been getting slugs in my place. I don't know why they're coming in, but the used to come in through the kitchen at night and just now I found some in the bathroom and I'm only up this late because I don't even want to go in for my toothbrush and some toothpaste. I've read some things say that they come in because of ventilation problems, but they only started coming inside in the last month and a half or so, and nothing has changed ventilation-wise since I moved in last year. Other people have said they want the cat food, and I have always kept her food inside and never had slug issues before. And my cat's food is always in the kitchen so that doesn't explain why they'd come into the bathroom.

Does anyone have any advice? I don't want to kill them with salt inside because that'd be hell to clean up and ants love dead slugs. And for those of you who might remember, I've had some nasty ant invasions in the past, so I don't want to start that again.

 

[InspiredBlue]

You seem to be focusing on the "why", but I'm more concerned about the "how". There must be an open space somewhere that they are coming through, that needs to be closed.

I think there are traps or baits. So maybe setting something like that up in your garden would help lessen the number of them.

 

[Junkie]

Sprinkle salt in doorframes (at the bottom) and along windowsills. If you have any drains that lead to underneath the house (some people have them in the bathroom) salt inside there as well as around the base (in the cracks). Its "all natural" and won't harm anyone or any animals. Then try to find where they are coming from.

Oh - and plug up your drain hole with the bathtub plug after you're done in the shower - it helps too. Same with the sink. You can also tape the little flood trap in your sink if you have one.

I used to do this with Boric Acid when my apartment building had roaches - yuck! It worked, but its not good if you have kids or pets.

 

[Junkie]

Oh and apparently there are slug pellets you can buy? They eat them and die.

Edit: Haha, this got me curious! Reading up on it and apparently they also won't cross copper! You can line anything with copper tape, wire, screening or even pennies and they won't go past it. You can also drown them in little dixie cups filled 1/3 with beer.

 

[LMD84]

i lived in a house once that seemed to have slugs coming into the kitchen. we nevercould find where they were entering but we put salt all around the outside of the house and we never seemed to have an issue after that. you have to put more down though after it rains and such... but at least salt is cheap to buy!

 

[blazeno.8]

Hmm... Thank you for the suggestions. I know that some come in from the window (it has a screen, but they lip in through the crack between the screened part and the inside of the house) and I've even seen some of them squeeze in through the door. I've never had any issues with drains, they only pop up in window/door areas.

Since they're coming up indoors I really don't want to salt them. I used salt around the door frame, but then it was kind of messy and there was a grainy salt texture everywhere. Most of the slugs that I have found in my place enter higher than the ground itself (either sliming their way along the window's glass and onto the walls or from the door straight to the wall). Also I've had ant problems in the past here and I don't know if the salt would be something they want.

I've read that slug pellets attract the slugs in addition to killing them... Like beer? I was mulling over buying a 6 pack and placing it outside my place for them to get trashed in. That way I wouldn't have to look at their bloated bodies as I toss out the can.
Copper also seems like a good idea.