How to… Deal with an infestation

Students, we are in the midst of a war! I am not talking about the war on terror or your ongoing battle against coursework. Rather, I am referring to a war that affects many second and third years on a daily basis. A war against an enemy that comes out of the dirt to feed at night. I am, of course, referring to the war against slugs.

The last thing you need after returning barefoot from the LCR…

A lot of you will have had the unpleasant experience of visiting the bathroom or kitchen at night and being met by a gathering of slugs, leaving a disgusting trail of slime  all over your floor. Or perhaps the even worse moment when you pull back the shower curtain only to discover they have infiltrated your bath tub, normally a place of cleanliness (bar the odd bit of mould). The worst moment of all is when you’re stumbling through the dark and you take a step, only to feel something spongy beneath your foot and hear that unmistakable squelching noise. Well enough is enough I say. It’s time to fight back!

Fortunately, there are a various methods that can be used to combat this evil. For the braver souls amongst you there is the simple tactic of taking them out into the garden and using a shovel to sever them in two.

Eww.

For the more squeamish (i.e. the rest of us) there are a more guilt-free methods. One solution is to leave out decaying food like lettuce leaves or fruit skins to attract the slugs. Check on your offerings after dark and then collect and kill the slugs by dropping them into a bucket of salty water.

Another method involves burying a dish of beer in the garden to soil level, something which will also attract slugs. Once they crawl into the liquid they become intoxicated and drown. At least you can say you gave them a merry send off!

A final method involves purchasing actual slug pellets. Be warned though as the creatures that get attracted to these pellets end up as a slimy mess on your floor which you then have to clean up.

As winter draws ever closer and the nights start to get longer, the slugs will be rallying and growing in numbers. Therefore I urge you not to wilt and to remain strong in the face of adversity. Remember my friends, the darkest hour is just before the dawn. Although things may seem bleak right now, I assure you that with a never say die attitude and the right tools we can triumph!