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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Slugs in my house! HELP!!! They're driving me MAD!

21 replies

RedHead81 · 01/09/2008 12:37

Oh I have a serious problem with slugs

A few months ago i noticed a trail in our utility room (at the back of the house) I managed to find 2 small slugs in there one night and got rid of them. Then a few weeks ago got some trails in the kitchen (next to utility room) DH found one slug one morning then the following night I found a HUGE fat one.

Now, yesterday morning and this morning there have been trails in the living room (next to kitchen)

The house is open plan and the utility room (an extension) is damp because it wasn't built properly (before we bought the house) But we can't afford to re-build it so we have to make do at the moment.

Any tips on how to get rid of them for good??? I've put salt down where the trails are as i don't like the idea of pellets because i have a 3.8yr old and a 4mo.

Please help if you can, I desperately want to get rid of them, they are driving me potty!

OP posts:
AvenaLife · 01/09/2008 12:40

You have to follow the trail and find where exactly they are coming from and block up the hole. I had trails in my living room last year (blugh), I found the little bugger and blocked the hole with pollyfiller. This did the trick. The holes ca be small though so fill all you can see.

lucysmam · 01/09/2008 12:45

we've had the same problem with a hole that wasn't filled properly by the men 'doing up' the house before we rented it, it's a teeny tiny hole behind the washing machine in the kitchen. Oh filled it when we were decorating the kitchen the other month and since then we have had no slugs (although I'm expecting them back through winter). I agree with fill every hole you can see, just in case!

Original poster
RedHead81 · 01/09/2008 13:15

Well this is the thing - I can't see that we have any holes anywhere - and I have tried to follow the trail, but can't seem to find where it comes from or goes - it just seems to appear! I just hate coming downstairs in the morning and finding yet another trail that needs to be cleaned up! AAARRRGHHHHH!!!!

OP posts:
lucysmam · 01/09/2008 13:21

erm . . . get up at 3am, that's when they're usually in my kitchen, & watch where they go? I was amazed that they were coming through the tiniest of holes behind the washer

Original poster
RedHead81 · 01/09/2008 13:26

I just think they are living in the utility room - it is damp! Think i will need to pull off the cupboards and the freezer, and the washing machine etc....

Looks like next weekends job for DH!!!

OP posts:
jojosmaman · 01/09/2008 13:27

Glad its not just me who has the little sods, but did any of you come down at 3 in the morning to make a bottle for the baby and step on one.. bare footed?!!!!!!!!!! That was the last straw for me, we put some non-toxic pellets down and touch wood they seem to have gone

isaidno · 01/09/2008 13:29

I keep getting slug trails in my dining room; little blighters are driving me mad.
Might try the slug pellets.

lucysmam · 01/09/2008 13:32

lmao jojosmaman, many times!!! yukyuk yukkity yuk

you should be able to get non-toxic type pellets if nothing else does it. I debated them if oh filling the hole didn't work, they're not nice little things are they!?

Original poster
RedHead81 · 01/09/2008 14:05

jojos - eww! Bet that was a shock at 3am! I didn't know you could get non toxic pellets - are they safe then when you have children around?

OP posts:
verylapsedrunner · 01/09/2008 14:08

So I'm not alone, we too have slugs in our kitchen (1904 house, kitchen not exactly contemporary!)

lucysmam · 01/09/2008 14:08

I'll have a google, see what I can find

Nbg · 01/09/2008 14:11

If you put down a bowl with some beer in, they will go into it and cark it.

Only thing is that you wont see them as they kind of dissolve

It has been mentioned on here before and someone said that cheap beer works perfectly well.

Katiekins83 · 01/09/2008 14:14

SALT!!! SALT and more SALT! just put it over all your holes, on the ridge by your doors incase they are slipping under there, kills them off and is very cheap, you can buy a shed load. and when they go you can just hoover it up. i put it down by my back door of a night, dont have to do it much and then they disappeared, even if yousee any in your garden just pour it o9ver them. my Ds loves going slug hunting then pours it on them! i think they got the message! lol!

jojosmaman · 01/09/2008 14:59

Yes I am at work so I can't check the name but its a white product that claims to be non-toxic and so can be used with children and pets around!

I think I might try the beer one though, just for a laugh!!

GypsyMoth · 03/09/2008 14:49

could they be coming in from under a door? i occasionally get them under our door....are their trails outside too? put the pellets around brickwork outside as well.

desperatehousewifetoo · 03/09/2008 15:01

We used to get slugs in our kitchen. Never saw them (luckily) but found the trails.

I realised that they were coming through an airbrick in a wall that was over a flower bed.

Put some (toxic - as outside) pellets down under airbrick outside and have not had any more problems.

I'd rather have slugs than mice, I think.

ludaloo · 03/09/2008 16:44

You could always put salt down where you think they might be. Follow the trails.
I have just found out by a fellow MNetter (good tip grouchy) that WD40 is equally as good at stopping them if you didn't want to use pellets.

Sensicall · 23/09/2008 05:11

Rather barbaric but try playing Barry Malinow records to them at 3am, works a treat!

Califrau · 23/09/2008 05:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

kittykattlh87 · 12/04/2020 02:39

So glad I'm not alone. Litereally just gone downstairs and seen 4 of them go under the washing machine. Yes 4 (bluurggh). Does this mean they are coming from behind there. I have seen them a few times now and was worried about getting pellets as didn't know you could get the ones that's been mentioned. I will get my OH to pull out washing machine see if there's any holes. I'm just wanting to know will that be where they are more than likely coming from. Every time I've seen them they have been near that area of my washing machine. Tonight is the first time I've actually seen them go underneath it. Honestly it makes me feel disgusted I hate them 🤢🤮

WhatTiggersDoBest · 17/04/2020 08:59

They're horrific. I have a phobia of them, seeing them gives me panic attacks and nightmares, and we get them here. I now salt all around the outside of the house every few weeks, I have sellotaped around the plastic thing where the TV arial comes in (the blighters were coming around the sides of the square plastic cover), I have salt on every windowsill, inside and out, and salt goes down the drains (inside and out) every few weeks too.
Putting hot water and bleach down the drains also kills them if they're living in them, so running your washing machine on an empty hot wash with a hefty dollop of Napisan or other washer-friendly bleach every so often will also clear them out (but be sure to put salt down the sink drains at the same time so they don't just divert).
Last one we got in the house was in January and I just renewed the salt yesterday. They really are disgusting.
If we weren't renting I'd fill every little crack in the walls with sealant.
I viewed a house once where they were coming in from under the patio doors (really obvious trails). Can you check around the lintel to the back door (assuming there's a back door leading out of this utility room) and see if that's where they're coming in.

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