- 1). Capture as many slugs as you can. You can do this by setting out a shallow pan of beer or some grapefruit halves near your plants. Slugs will be attracted to these.
- 2). Kill the slugs you've captured. The most humane way to do this is to put them in a container with a lid, then put the container into your freezer. This will slow them down to the point where they fall asleep before they die. Of course, you can also just sprinkle salt on them, though that is an agonizing way for them to die.
- 3). Prepare some boiling water and drop the dead slugs into it. Give them a good boil for five or 10 minutes. Be prepared for the smell!
- 4). Put the boiled slugs and the water into your container with a lid. Let this sit undisturbed for a few days.
- 5). After a few days have passed, pour the water around your hostas. Be careful not to accidentally coat the plants, as it may kill them. You can also scatter any slug remains in the soil.
- 6). Take additional steps if you feel they are necessary. You can ring the plants with ash, broken eggshells or sandpaper. You can also keep out a shallow pan of beer and dispose of the dead slugs daily.
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