Beer trap

How it works

Yeast smell attracts slugs, which fall in and drown.

Recipe

Sink a cup or jar so the rim sits 2 cm ABOVE soil level, fill with cheap beer, refresh every few days.

How to apply

Set in the evening near vulnerable seedlings. Empty and refill after rain.

Targets — pests

Slugs, Snails

Targets — diseases

Not recorded — the field is blank rather than guessed.

Supplies: Beer, Jar or trap cup

Days to harvest after spraying: 0

Best months: not recorded

Cautions

Set flush with the soil, they drown ground beetles - your best natural slug predator. Always leave a 2 cm lip.

The thing people get wrong

Honest assessment: beer traps also attract slugs in from next door, so a ring of traps around a lettuce bed can make things worse. Use them to gauge how bad the problem is, then solve it with nematodes or a night patrol.