How to Make a Slug Beer Trap

Slug pub

The beer trap, or 'slug pub', has to be the traditional homemade slug remedy. Perhaps not one of the most effective methods of slug control but it's certainly a lot of fun. There's something sadistically satisfying about having a peek inside next morning and admiring the grimy brew, don’t you think?

To make your own slug pub, simply half bury a glass jar or smooth plastic container in the soil and half fill it with beer. The slug sniffs the brew and, like the rest of us, finds it impossible to resist. He tumbles in and drowns a happy slug.

The slug seems to love a good beer, so he can't be all bad!

Plastic bottle slug trap

A variation of the above beer trap can be made from a plastic bottle. Using scissors or a sharp knife, cut off the top third, invert it, and simply insert it into the bottom section.

Part fill with fresh beer as before and you have yourself a trap that's very difficult to escape from. You're also doing your bit for the environment by recycling.

You can use this bottle trap idea to make a handy wasp trap too. Instead of beer, make a solution of water and sugar or honey, with a dash of washing up liquid. If the opening is too large, replace the cap and pierce a smaller hole in it.

Which beer works best?

Fresh beer seems to works best, and some people report the darker brews – like Stout or Guinness – are the most effective.

Beer substitute

It's the scent from fermenting yeast that the slug is attracted to. So if the thought of wasting good beer is just too distressing, an equally potent attractant can be concocted from:

• 2 cups of warm water
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• ½ teaspoon of yeast
• ...and mix well.

Wise precautions

Always keep the rim of your beer trap raised 2-3cm (1") above the level of the ground, otherwise other beneficial creatures will topple in too. One such good guy is the ground beetle. It probably devours more slugs than any beer trap will catch, so it would be foolish to drown it as well.

If you're still concerned about other insects falling in, offer them an escape route by popping in a few small twigs. Don’t worry, the slugs will be too tipsy to use them!

Another good idea is to cover your trap with something like a piece stone, raised just enough for the slug to crawl beneath. I think this make it look more like a natural feature of the garden, and prevents it from filling with water when it rains. Diluted beer doesn’t have the same appeal somehow.

What about milk?

Some people find milk an effective substitute for beer and it might be worth a try. It'll definitely appeal to the tea-total slug! However, please don't be tempted to leave the trap uncovered to provide a tasty hedgehog ready meal of 'slug and milk'. Hedgehogs will drink milk but it makes them ill.

Conclusion

The odd beer trap protecting a small group of plants might be effective but a larger area would need at least one every metre. As the liquid needs to be replenished every few days, that would take an awful lot of beer!

What do you want to do now?

• More ways to kill a slug
  Discover alternative ways of dealing with slugs.