I'm feeling sorry for you, Deanna; fight them every inch of the way, with all means possible, right from the start. A slug or snail killed in March doesn't lay any eggs.
I know pretty soon I'll be feeling sorry for my own hostas, bun until now most of the snails are still sleeping.

Hate them, really HATE THEM

That should have been "bad" year, not "bag" year. lol

Deanna

Aare you sure it's slugs? I've been treating for slugs and my problem has been cut worms (caterpillars). It takes two different insecticides.

bkay

It's slugs here alright! I'm using Sluggo, have not found Sluggo Plus, don't know if I'm missing a chance to prevent other ... critters ... from feasting on my fast-growing hosta.

Do wild birds eat slugs? I hope?

Robins eat slugs. Of course they eat earthworms also. Morning Doves will also snack on the slimeys. Toads eat slugs. That's why Frank built his Toad pond. But the best slug eaters of all are ducks. Raise a flock of ducks and your slug problems will be solved. Of course, then you have the ducks to deal with. As Rosanne Rosanna Danna would say, "It's always something."

Steve

Get two male ducks and those snails will be gone!

Salt kills slugs fast. Would it be possible to use the Slugo to kill the eggs and the slugs already on the hostas and then surround the hosta bed with salt rock to use as a barrier to prevent more slugs from entering the bed? Just wondering...

Salt is bad for your plants and trees. I thought salt is good against slugs when put on them in granular form. They probably do not want to eat salt, but will eat Sluggo.
Bernd

Bernd, the Sluggo I bought WILL kill slugs, right? Or repel them? I do not have Sluggo Plus, cannot find it in town. My Sluggo sort of molds in the pots after it gets wet.

Can I spread Sluggo around on the ground outside the pots? Will that keep them away from the pots?

Can anyone tell me the mix portions of baking soda & water used to spray for alugs.

We have moved & not located my gardening notes quite yet!

I did a google search and got lots of suggestions. 1 qt. water to 1 tsp. baking soda, ALSO 1 gal. water to 1 Tbl. baking soda. You can pick from many in the link below.

I prefer iron phosphate products, and I've never used baking soda in my garden, so all I can do is send you in a hopefully helpful direction.

-Babka

Here is a link that might be useful: Baking soda and water for slugs

Mocassin, in respect to Sluggo I only repeated what others wrote here. I use Bug-Geta, is less expensive. Sluggo seems to work well as others stated. I spread Bug-Geta around individual hostas, have no pots. You only should make sure that no slug hides in the drain holes of the pots. They then could go up outside into the pot overnight to eat. Therefore, you are correct to put Sluggo pellets on the soil surface of the pot.
Bernd

I feel your pain. Here in central VA, it's like the slugs are on steroids. I first noticed them several weeks ago during a debris clean-up day. Last week, I accidentally squished a big fat one under my thumb as I removed a plant from a pot. Bare handed, of course. Yuck.

I haven't seen any slugs or snails yet, but something has had a little snack of my Paradise Island and a couple of others. I will be spraying the ammonia/water solution tomorrow.
Karen

KSKaren, ammonia/water solution? Pray tell what proportions you use to mix it.

One can never have too many methods of slug abatement!!
Today, even though I had sprinkled new Sluggo in the pots last evening and even left them a beer to party hearty on, there were three or four beneath pots when I picked em up to look. The ones I'm seeing are all very small, so far.

If you are going to do the ammonia and water treatment do it now while your Hosta are still unfurling. Some peeps use 10%, some use 15%. Household ammonia (lemon scent is OK) mixed with water in a sprayer used as a soil drench. Do it wherever the little slimeys may be hiding. If plants are already open they you need to spray them by getting inside the plants soaking the pets and both sides of the leaves. This solution kills them on contact, so the idea is to cover wherever the slugs might be. Do it early (now) and repeat as needed throughout the growing season and again in the fall. The ammonia breaks down in the soil into Nitrogen, so it's beneficial to the plants.

Steve

I'll try the 10% solution, and spray them down good. We had rain again last night and early this morning, so the Sluggo bait will sort of turn to mush very quickly.

Only one tiny slug was in the beer, so this time I put out a bigger pie pan with smooth edges not the foil stuff. Since it's Saturday night, they might want to party down.

One plant they seem to love is Eskimo Pie. One leaf is almost totally gone, but a couple of new ones are not damaged--yet.

"Since it's Saturday night, they might want to party down"
Bring on the Beer!
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!

-Babka

I accidentally squished a slug yesterday while I was admiring my little pips starting to emerge. I was IRATE!!! I hate those little buggers too. I cannot believe they are already here, but I guess the mild winter brought them in~ and they are hungry!!

Ammonia water is my best friend. I was able to keep them completely off my hosta last year, which was a wonderful change from the year before when I was a greenhorn at the slug fighting. No more:) I will not stand for it. I don't care how many neighbors think I have lost my mind in summer out at all hours in my mud boots spraying all the slugs I can find. I hate to admit it, but I love to see the ammonia make them turn to goo. It is a morbid, but satisfying ritual.

Good luck all you slug fighters out there!! May the force be with you!!

g