slugs in my kitchen

[crisgal]

we get loads of these at night, despite putting copious amounts of salt down.
Now I've discovered slug trails on the INSIDE of one of my cupboards. I feel absolutely sick.
How can we get rid of them - for good?
Someone PLEASE help! x

[Jugglering]

Awwww, poor Crisgal... you have to find out where the little ******* are getting in - it will be in a crack in the wall or through a hole in some pipework.... Look outside first - any tiny gaps (even just mm thick) around drainage pipes, outlets, air vents etc ? These need to be filled in.

Salt won't actually deter the fools (their brains are not as big as a pea) - it just turns them into the most disgusting mess you have ever seen... you need a permanent physical deterrent. On the more positive side, although slug trails are fairly horrible to look at, they are not particularly dangerous or bad for us humans, just unpleasant. I did come close to adopting a hedgehog simply because they adore eating slugs (honest !) but I then decided I couldn't really cope with hedgehog fleas....lol....

[crisgal]

thaks juggerling. my husband and i have treated ourselves to a big juicy staek - a very rare event! But now we don't feel like cooking or eating!
It helps to know that the slime won't hurt us. The kids are allowed in the cereal cupboard, and that's where we saw the trails. I feel so bad that my children may have eaten some!
I think it's just the thought of it.
EEuuwww!

[thugulike]

I had this problem some years ago in a previous house and eventually I found a nest under the stairs. It was a disgusting orangey colour and completely sticky. I was revolted but had to clean it up and following that (and the execution of all slugs found) the problem ceased. You need to follow the trail and find out where they are. They may be coming in from outside but be aware of the alternative, Horror films are made of goo like this!

[crisgal]

well, if anyone's interested...
My husband took the lino up in the kitchen to follow the slugs.
It turns out our big american fridge freezer had been slowly and constantly dripping water from the mains supply, for MONTHS. As there was no lino under it it was seeping into the hardboard and floorboards. They are all absolutely saturated. The slugs were having a fab time on slug holiday. A lovely warm wet kitchen to play on!
I'm so glad we've found out why we had so many!
My floor is now up and we are waiting for the insurance assessors. We need to replace the floor and if the floorboards shrink, we may need a new kitchen!

Needless to say, the next time I nag him indoors to do something (as I have constantly for weeks and weeks) - he's going to get off his @rse and do it!!!

[Jugglering]

OMG Crisgal... no wonder you had such a problem with the wee darling critters (I am being a tad facetious here lol).... if those floorboards were saturated then they are likely to be totally rotten by now and will probably need replacing, as will any supporting joists etc. I do hope you are covered under insurance ! Thank goodness you nagged dear sweet hubby enough to actually find out the problem before it got too much worse - just imagine if you (or hubby or your kids) had put a foot through the floorboards...how to break an ankle without trying too hard ! Slugs would have been the least of your problems then !

[crisgal]

oh, he's learnt his lesson!

[nicolahinxman]

Its not an anwer but I am new to this. Noticed slugs at night for a whie in kitchen l and thought they were coming in from outside and then when cleaning out saucepan cupboards they were in there, yuk, and little black bits of residue (god knows what that is). I know that the washing machine had been leaking for a while and floors had been damp. We are having an extension to the side of kitchen and orginal kitchen walls been taken out and now we have part old wooden floor, part concrete floor until new ceramic tiles are laid. Every night I am out with salt/ even slug killer along the cracks/gaps in floor. Theres a couple dead every morning. I can't eat anything out of the kitchen now as so disgusted ans scared to explore further in cupboards (all getting ripped out for new kitchen anyway). What do I do? They may still find a way in the new kitchen and I want a solution now. My husband just ignores my concerns and says they are not harmful. rent o kill do not want to know.HELP

[itsamee]

I've found that when I leave the kitchen light on all night, slugs will not move from wherever they're lurking so, no trails no mess, can't see 'em. I've now rigged up a standard lamp to conserve energy: I realise that my energy will increase, but, hey, it works for me. Make sure no pools of darkness exist. Lastly, ok, my kitchen is not huge! Good luck

[itsamee]

This works for me, however I don't have a huge kitchen: I've found that leaving my kitchen lights on all night eliminates the problem of slugs moving around. They will not venture into a lighted area, apparently. OK, they're still lurking under units perhaps, but will not find anything to eat there, obviously. To conserve energy and keep bills to a minimum, I now use a standard lamp instead of the multiple bulbs which normally illuminate the room. I no longer am faced with the sight of slugs nor do they dare move anywhere, so no mess, no trails, no nothing. For quality of life(!) I'll put up with having the lamp on all night. Don't leave any pools of darkness anywhere. Good luck.