Slugsville...

[Bluestone]

Every morning, I am finding a thin slug trail, right at the foot of the back door.
It's a new house, so no obvious holes or places they could get in, and it's just around the door.
It's absolutely minging. I'm bleaching the area every single day, but want to really stop them for coming in, in the first place.

Any ideas?

[SlackAlice]

Check right underneath the doorframe sills inside and out. Slugs do not need a very big hole to get in.

[albaqwerty]

a line of salt would kill them.

[Kassee]

yes, sprinkle salt around - a line of salt and they wont get past it.

[sunny-dave]

Put a beer trap down where the trails are - just a couple of spoonfuls of beer (or diluted wine) in a saucer.

Turn all the lights off in the kitchen and check every hour or so - I got the bugger that was in my living room within one evening.

[Bluestone]

Urgh. I don't want to put my hand underneath the door frame. *Shudders*
I will get some gloves and have a look. If there is a gap, which I'm now assuming there must be (it's a UPVC door) how can I solve that? Is there something I could perhaps spray into it, but then that may stop it from shutting properly...?

If I put salt around, will that deter other slugs from coming in - or are they not that clever?

[Bluestone]

Dave, thanks for the tip. I will try that tonight, as much as it pains me to waste beer on slugsville! lol
As above, will that stop others from coming in though?

[atalanta]

The last office I worked in, every morning there used to be silver trails from under the door right across the carpet. The handyman fitted a brush-type draught-excluder on the bottom edge of the door, and that stopped the slugs permanently.

[Ric.ror]

I have found a snail in my door casing

[Bluestone]

Don't think I'd be able to fit a brush thing under it, as it wouldn't close properly. It seems pretty flush... is that the right word?

[pastafreak]

I used to be an evil child....I delighted in pouring salt all over slugs-and watching them shrivel up. It dehydrates them and pulls all the moisture out of their bodies.
So just keep putting salt down....not just by the door,but several feet in either direction.

[Bluestone]

Lol. EVIL!!! :P

I will get the salt and beer out, tonight. Do they shrivel up into nothing, or will there be a bit of slug there in the morning? Yuk!! :(

[pastafreak]

Yep...there will be a bit of slug......maybe get a friendly hedgehog to help...?

[atalanta]

You could probably nail a brush-type draught excluder to the lowest part of the door ( not the underneath) - after all, there is space for the little beasts to squeeze through. Take a look at this kind of device in a DIY shop. The other treatment is to crumble egg-shells thickly across the area they need to cover. They don't like the sharp bits underneath them, and will avoid the treated area.