Why do you microwave them?
I tried that....didn't work. To get enough to really keep the slugs out, I would have had to cover my beds in egg shells and I didn't like the look. And, any slugs that hatched in the crowns were in slug heaven. However I have used egg shells in pots with annuals that I was sure had no wintered over slug eggs.
I swear by iron phosphate.
Linda c

Hi Linda,
I have read many time here about Iron Phosphate,that it workes really well.
Where might i find Iron Phosphate?,and how do you use it?
I have not had a problem this year,but all of a suden, like,over night,my Stained Glass is all eaten up,:0(
Thanks for any info.
cAROL

Linda, I microwave them because we have raccoons and other beasties in the night that might be attracted to the eggs if I didn't wash them and sterilize them. I like the iron phosphate tip. I will get some tomorrow. I have begun adding more hostas to the gardens now and saw my first slug in ages just last week, so I want to stay ahead of them! I never saw any that hatched in the crowns-ugh! You are right though about the look of the shells and I suspect the idea may get old very quickly now that my hosta numbers have increased. Thanks for the advice! Cynthia

Cyn, you could dye the egg shells a darker color with food color or shoe polish if the white is offensive. Or I think they would turn brown if you baked them for a bit. I grind them tiny in a blender and toss them around for the birds for the calcium. They quickly disappear.

Buy only slug-resistant hostas. There are hundreds.

Westy

Slug resistant Hostas are a figment of wishful thinking, so I hear. They might be the last meal on the little slimy mind of the slug, but in the end, a Hosta tastes like a Hosta to a hungry slug.

Thanks for the ideas, Maryann. I also thought that using brown eggs might be a little less obvious. BTW ptilda, loved the pictures of your garden that you posted. Westy, I will study up and look for the less popular (to slugs) varieties. Thanks to all of you! Cynthia

Our California slugs and snails will eat ANYTHING, even each other. And they do it all year round in my garden. Before I began scattering Sluggo (iron phosphate) under my pots, no hosta was immune. There are many, many brands of iron phosphate. It works.

-Babka

Ptilda - I have NO slugs except on 'Invincible' and some oldies but goodies that I don't want to part with. The 'gardenwalk' group from Northern Illinois who visited my garden three weeks ago can vouch for this. I have almost 300 hostas and most are slug resistant. No holes! Pine needles help, too, for the salad hosta. I rake them up to the base of the petioles.

Westy