New house - slug trails

[amanaplanacanalpanama]

We've just moved into a new (old!) house. I've seen a couple of slugs which i thought were because we'd been playing outside. I hoped thought we'd somehow brought them in. Every morning though I have to spend time cleaning away slug trails. They don't seem to lead anywhere so i can't identify their entry point. I don't doubt there are lots of nooks and crannies for them to squeeze their slimy little bodies through. Yeuk! What can I do? I'm struggling to live like this. It makes me feel disgusting. All the bloody spiders were one thing but bastard slugs too?? Too much!

I've got a toddler so can't put any pellets down. I hate the thought of him crawling around where the slugs have been. And what are they coming in for anyway?

I knew we should have gone for a new build.

[colthebear]

I have been waging war against these things since I moved into my new (also old lol) house 18 months ago. Our current bind is the fact that a few have been able to get in through our (closed!) bedroom window, which we are currently protecting with a moat of salt and pellets.

But initially we discovered them in the kitchen and there were loads and it drove me crazy. We had massive success with Mousemesh airbrick covers. I would recommend getting these fitted to any airbricks where you think they might be coming in - worked a treat for us and inexpensive. We also had a chap do a bit of repointing on that wall at the same time to fill any holes. OP - if you are having them in living room I have read that some people have them come in through the fireplace so maybe put a salt line across there and get a fireguard if you don't want your child to access it.

Good luck with your slugs everyone - I know how you feel. Check your windows too - I know too well that they can even get in when they're closed.

[amanaplanacanalpanama]

I once read a thread on here about parachuting slugs, because the trail starts in the middle of nowhere. That's exactly what it's like - as if they parachute in, dance around a bit before getting airlifted back out again! It's cery frustrating. I still don't know where ours get in.

Stealthy little shits.

[AliceInUnderpants]

We have slugs too, but kind find the bugger(s). I wake every morning to a trail in the hall, but can't actually identify the source!

[MontePulciana]

The slugs drown in the beer yes. It's pretty gross but does somewhat distract them from the house and reduce the population gradually...

[Morifarty]

We've had success by killing off most of the local population. Pellets under the decking last year has meant we were slug free until last week, think they are starting to repopulate now.

I also sealed between the skirting and the hard floor all around the rooms which helped a bit.

[amanaplanacanalpanama]

That's what I can't work out, Waitrose. There's no food for them in the living room.

I've put pellets outside and behind furniture inside. I've also put some salt down. No trails for the past two mormings. I'm still being vigilant though, in case they're looking for another way in. Think I might do the beer thing outside too. Are they all in there in the morning then? Do they drown? Or do you just tip them out somewhere away from the house?

[WaitrosePigeon]

That's a good tip point.
Does anyone know why slugs like coming into the house?

[Topdrawer1]

If you usually leave a window open downstairs like i always have, they get in through there. Had same problem every morning with trails everywhere, put salt in all the nooks n crannies to no avail! My dp suggested that was where they may have been getting in and sure enough, since closing window at night... no more slime trails:-)

[MontePulciana]

My cat didn't bother with it. We used tesco value beer, it was horrendously cheap (DH still went for it though)

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es]

I've done that at the allotment. Sainsburys basics bitter, about a pound for 4 cans, they love it. But again not ideal with cats around. I suppose I could shut the cats in for the night then put the beer outside the back door.

[MontePulciana]

I actually did the slug pub thing at my last house. Literally just left a bowl of Beer for them to indulge in over night in the garden. Next morning it had 20+ slugs in it. Keep doing it, overnight, all around the house. And seal up your house, if that's possible.

[ineedamoreadultieradult]

Don't think slug pellets attract them more they crawl over them and die but I could be wrong. You could set a beer trap that attracts them but I'm not sure how you would do it inside because we used to dig a while to put the beer in outside.

[celeste83]

Just try and set your alarm at 3am so you can go downstairs and catch them in the act. I hate slugs with a passion!!!

[amanaplanacanalpanama]

That's the stuff I bought mariesmith. I put some outside and also behind the tv where we'd had trails and the kids can't reach. It doesn't look like any was eaten last night but there were trails elsewhere in the room. Do the pellets attract them so that they eat them?

I feel really embarrassed about this. Whenever I tell anyone in rl about it they recoil in disgust. We had slugs in the house back in my university days but the house wasn't in a good state of repair and probably damp. And it was just a house. This is our home

[Mumstudentbum]

We get them in our girls bedroom! They come in via the floorboards next to the patio doors. I didn't want to put pellets down even though my girls are 6 and 9 just incase so I put salt down instead.

All was good until I found them in the bathroom! They'd found another way in lol

[midnightmoomoo]

We ended up taking the floorboards up in the living room and clearing out years worth of crap to ensure good airflow. You can get pet friendly slug pellets so find these and sprinkle round outside.

[amanaplanacanalpanama]

Does it mean the house is damp? We had a full survey done and no damp was found but I'm beginning to realise that surveys really aren't worth the money we pay for them.

[TwoLittleBlooms]

Eugh! I am hoping to find a safe alternative - we regularly find them in the lounge and often about 10 in the kitchen - babies and big monster ones - feeling sick just writing this! I currently put salt along all sides of the house on the outside and along skirting and kickboard edges in teh kitchen - but not ideal with a toddler or a cat. I daren't lay pellets around the outside of the house with the toddler. I have heard - though not yet tried but will be doing - copper wire and sandpaper laid where they may be coming in - going to get some so will report back!

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es]

We can't do the surround the house thing because of the cats unfortunately.

[ineedamoreadultieradult]

They may come up through floor boards or in tiny gaps in doors etc but they all come from outside they don't live under the house as there's nothing for them to eat there so as long as you surround the house especially near doors and airbricks you will get rid of them. Ours were climbing up a plant we had outside near our bathroom window so we moved that away from the house, they can crawl up bricks as well but obviously prefer a nice plant to a scratchy brick wall.

[WaitrosePigeon]

They are absolute bastards.

I got so sick of it in the end I murdered them with salt.

I then put salt at the obvious holes and I've not seen any since.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es]

I scoop them up with a dustpan and fling them to the far end of the garden.

I think they do get in through gaps in the floorboards, possibly via airbricks. Our most recent invaders have been some way from an outside door. They can squeeze through the tiniest gaps though, we get them by the back door sometimes and it's a concrete floor there so they must be getting through the tiny gap under the door.

[MumOnTheRunCatchingUp]

What will you do with them if you catch them tho??

Pick them up?

[amanaplanacanalpanama]

Great suggestions thanks. I'm off to buy some pellets. Is it possible that they come through cracks under the floor though? We've got carpets but floorboards underneath and probably gaps small enough to get through. Oh how I long for lovely concrete floors!

I may do a stealth mission tonight to try to catch some of them in action.

Sorry you're suffering with the problem too purple.