Snail and slug pellets, makes them so high, that they don't get out of sun, so they don't even know there getting fried to death.

Wow! Some of these replies, while well intended, are driving me to the Chardonnay bottle. LOL. Like it's better to be slowly frozen to death than instantly dying? Putting slugs in the freezer? How far do we take this mercy plea? Ants? Microbes? I love most animals, some reptiles, but absolutely hate Snakes and Sharks! Insects, however, are totally another matter! I guess I'm from another Planet. I work sooooo hard to maintain my gardens, that at every opportunity I have, I will protect same from any pest/varmit etc. trying to destroy my labor of love.LOL. Huge Rose Bush fancier, and I am not contemplating putting aphids in the fridge this Spring. Come to Nova Scotia sometime, and watch us cook mussels, clams, and lobsters!! Cheers!

The problem is that slugs are not people or animals with higher levels of comprehension or function. The slug reacts to anything that touches its skin, its biggest and most important organ. Its the same thing that makes you pull your finger away from a hot pot even before you feel the pain.

PS: I only froze the slugs and snails to keep them from stinking up my garbage can in the summer. A bag of rotting snails can make a mighty stench, even through a plastic bag.

Throw some salt on them or even better throw them into a table salt solution. They dissolve pretty much immediately.

Myths?
Proven?
What in the world is going on in Missouri.
The next thing I'll hear is that fish are smart because they are in schools. That is right out of Vaudeville in the Roaring 20's.
If a slug has a brain, why do they crawl into a saucer of beer and drown? You would think that they know better.

If your saucer of beer was big enough, some people would fall in and drown.

The OP did not want to use beer traps or chemicals. I guess each of us has our own way of dealing with slugs...except that in the northwestern part of the US the slugs are humongous!! as are the snails. Yikes.

For me...I use a stick and pick up the black slugs, put them into a to-go cup, put the lid on and...forget to take it out of the sun. It's the best I can do.

Where I live we do have Rosy Wolf Snails and they like to snack on slugs, but if they don't eat fast enough, I have to step in and lend a hand.

Do slugs have feelings? But I understand a quick humane death. How about step on the with your big boots, then drag your foot to smear it to assure it is dead-dead.

BigBill said:Myths?
Proven?
What in the world is going on in Missouri.
The next thing I'll hear is that fish are smart because they are in schools. That is right out of Vaudeville in the Roaring 20's.
If a slug has a brain, why do they crawl into a saucer of beer and drown? You would think that they know better.

You can't prove they don't feel pain, where is your research? Since you know all about it. There have been numerous studies concluding that these animals can feel pain. Please google and spend some serious time researching this.

I don't see any reason to insult MO or the people who live here.

How would a slug know better if it has never experienced beer before?
Plenty of people know better, but they just keep on drinking.... Probably some that even live in YOUR state!

fwmosher said:Wow! Some of these replies, while well intended, are driving me to the Chardonnay bottle. LOL. Like it's better to be slowly frozen to death than instantly dying? Putting slugs in the freezer? How far do we take this mercy plea? Ants? Microbes? I love most animals, some reptiles, but absolutely hate Snakes and Sharks! Insects, however, are totally another matter! I guess I'm from another Planet. I work sooooo hard to maintain my gardens, that at every opportunity I have, I will protect same from any pest/varmit etc. trying to destroy my labor of love.LOL. Huge Rose Bush fancier, and I am not contemplating putting aphids in the fridge this Spring. Come to Nova Scotia sometime, and watch us cook mussels, clams, and lobsters!! Cheers!

I assure I will never visit anyone who cooks animals alive. I don't think very highly of those kind.

Hmmm, yummy Lobster....
I think I better walk away from this thread.....

You and me both.
You can't prove they feel pain either!
Where is your research?

You are right about one thing though. I didn't mean to insult all of the people of Missouri.

great discussion as long as no one takes it too seriously

As an entomologist I would refrain from picking up snails or slugs with bare hands. Look up Rat Lung Worm! We were warned about this at a class I had on snail and slug identification. We even had to use gloves to handled preserved specimens for dissecting.

I take crushed egg shells and sprinkle them close to the base of each plant. Oats work well too.

vitrsna said:
To prevent the slugs from eating my plants I use copper tubing or tape. They will cross the tubing sometimes, but there is a chemical reaction that takes place with their tender undersides and i usually find the slug a couple of feet away and very dead. It appears that most of the time they will not cross the tubing. Let me find a photo to show you how i use copper tubing. It is initially somewhat expensive but it lasts forever and with a small tool you can easily make your barriers to fit the space you want to most protect.

I hate to say this but copper, in excess, is toxic and destroys cells - the slugs crawling over the copper pipe and dying 2 ft away should be the give away. IF they have a sentient brain (which they don't), they would die in excruciating pain.

Frillylily said:

I assure I will never visit anyone who cooks animals alive. I don't think very highly of those kind.

There won't be much left for you to eat because you should be adding fresh vegetables to your "don't cook anything alive". Oh wait, canned veggies and store bought meat (someone else did the slaughtering for you).

PS: for all of you who don't know me well: I am always willing to play Devel's Advocate. Or, as my DD#1 says: I prefer to follow the "Green Fields of France" approach: "I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean"

http://health.hawaii.gov/docd/...

So the good news is that if you have never heard of rat lungworms, you probably don't live in/travel to areas where they exist. And if you do, don't eat raw snails.

Are we still in the "Killing slugs by stepping on them cruel or good?"? Bottom line, stomp on them but don't eat them.

Cheryl's the winner
With her, shoe, step and slide method ! What other animal dies that quickly ???
Now y'all got me talking like slugs are animals.