All barriers were applied either according to manufacturers’ instructions or as the consensus of gardening knowledge dictated. The substances weregenerally applied in a continuous ring around the plant (inside of the rim of the pot and in an equivalent circle on the plants in the ground). The copper wasapplied as a foil tape to the outside of the pots, and copper collars wereplaced around the plants in the ground. If you have scrap copper or old copper pipes in your shed, try bending it around the plants you wish to protect

But whatever the reason, most people agree that slugs don’t like touching copper. Home remedies for slugs from the experts Copper is a known poison for many organisms and some copper chemicals are used to disinfect and kill organisms. It seems to make sense that copper tape or copper wire would have the same effect. If you think about this for a minute you will realize this can’t work. Most homes in North America use copper pipe to deliver water in our homes. If it were toxic – would we be using them? Slug Rings are the original patented copper rings - designed and manufactured by gardeners for gardeners. After a few weeks exposure to weather, especiallly rain, slug rings take on a brown patina to blend comfortably into your garden. They are equally effective whether they are shiny and new, with a brown patina, or even ancient green.If I go out at night I will usually see 2-3 slugs oozing circles around the bottom of the barrier but not crossing it. I have seen a slug or two successfully cross it, but it’s rare. If I had to guess I would say I get about 1/20th -1/200th the slug prevalence I used to previously high slug traffic areas I have since “protected”. (tough to say because I am too lazy to count, and I can’t tell how many slugs crossed the barrier vs just live on the other side) Other popular methods for getting rid of slugs include coffee grounds, and beer. For more information on these methods have a look at:

Slugs and snails are a major problem for home gardeners and are generally the most common pest enquiry received by the RHS Gardening Advice team. In the case of the snail we have the copper, and the electrolyte in the form of slug slime.The second electrode is missing. Also missing is the connection between the two electrodes which allows the current to flow. I don’t believe that putting slime onto copper will produce an electric charge. Does Copper Repel Slugs? My older planters have 6 month old copper mesh barriers and I have yet to notice any obvious decrease in effectiveness with oxidation/dirt, but if there down the road maybe I can mitigate it with a firm wire brush scrub. By testing a range of barriers in both pots and on the ground, this study contributedsignificantly to the literature surrounding gastropod control and enabled the RHS to update the advice it gives to home gardeners regarding which products and substances are effective. Benefits to gardenersThe experiment was carried out at the Field Research Facility at RHS Wisley. The plant used in the experiment was a gastropod favourite, lettuce, and the experimentassessed the effectiveness of the following gastropod barriers and repellents: We, and all other mammals, have iron in our blood [ haemoglobin ]. It enables us to have our own independent magnetic field, anchored on our blood. Slugs and snails do not have iron in their blood. Their blood contains haemocyanin , based on copper. This means that they do not have an independent magnetic field. As copper is conductive, they are highly sensitive to the Earth’s field. www.garden-products.co.uk You may be correct. As I said I am not a chemist. Although I’m not sure that ‘Conducting current’ is the same as ‘exchanging an electrical charge’. But who really cares. The issue is whether or not it works and if so, under what conditions.

Organic and sustainable gardeners know that using copper in gardening repels slugs and snails without introducing harmful chemicals to the landscape. Gardeningknowhow.com When applying, ensure that the area is free from slugs and that no leaves are touching the surrounding soilSo, while they are very similar, slugs and snails are not the same – even though they both leave a distinctive silver snail trail. A lot of people ask ‘what do garden snails and slugs eat?’, but that depends whether they’re carnivores, omnivores or herbivores. Realistically, most things can end up being snail food, but especially tender seedlings, vegetables or leafy hosta plants.