The claim is that slugs and snails are attracted to cornmeal and after eating it, the cornmeal expands and kills them. What a simple organic method for getting rid of slugs, but does it work?
Do Slugs Eat Cornmeal?
Yes, they seem to love the stuff.
Does Cornmeal Kill Them?
The simple answer is no. In fact cornmeal is commonly fed to snails to purge them of toxic material before eating them. They need to stay alive and healthy for this process to work.
It is not clear where the idea of exploding snails comes from but it is a common belief for several different pests including ants and earwigs. I don’t know of a single pest that explodes after eating something. Just because dry material expands when it gets wet does not mean that an animal’s digestive system is not able to handle it.
Corn Gluten Meal
Don’t confuse the cornmeal with corn gluten meal. Corn meal is the yellow granular material sold in grocery stores, and corn gluten meal is sold at the hardware store for feeding lawns and preventing seed germination.
The Latest Science
The latest testing found that bread dough and bread dough slurry were the best attractant for various species of slugs and snails. It was more effective than beer.
Getting Rid of Slugs and Snails
There are all kinds of methods for getting rid of snails and I have reviewed several of these including:
- Eggshells Control Slugs – Do They Really Work?
- Getting Rid of Slugs With Coffee Grounds
- How To Get Rid of Slugs With Beer
- How to Get Rid of Slugs With Copper
- How to Get Rid of Slugs with Diatomaceous Earth
References:
- Photo source; madame.furie
Have you any thoughts on the use of slug pellets? I’m afraid to use them because ‘everyone’ knows the dead slugs are then going to kill hedgehogs and frogs. Is there any evidence of this? I’m hoping this is another gardening myth.
Gail Thornbury Northern Ireland
I have not heard that this is a problem.
A quick check found this that says birds don’t eat dead slugs and that there is no evidence frog do either, but there are no references http://www.gardenfine.com/gardening/controlling-slugs-snails.php
A gardener of thirty years experience told me to mix 1cup of ammonia with 1gallon of water. Spray slug damaged plants once per week with weed sprayer throughout the growing season. Doesn’t burn plants, deters slugs, and provides a gentle feeding of nitrogen.
If you use too much ammonia you can damage plants. It may add some nitrogen, but some is lost to the air as a gas.
There will be very little residue from the ammonia on leaves since it vaporizes easily – that is the smell you notice when you use it. It won’t protect plants after it dries. It does kill slugs if they are sprayed with it directly.
I’m with Scott Reed! Cornmeal is indeed what is fed to snails in preparation for eating– along with maybe some tasty greens.
Love your articles and the debunking of the many gardening myths that abound.
Here is how I got my slug infestation under control: First I put out lots of 2×4 and 2×6’s for the slugs to live under. During the day the boards were turned over several times; the slugs were picked for the chickens and the undersides of the boards and the ground were sprayed liberally with 1:1 diluted ammonia. In the evening the plants that were covered with slugs – primarily chinese cabbage and lettuce, but also some flowers, and under the boards and pots again – were sprayed with the ammonia solution. This went on for several weeks, maybe longer. (I did burn some plant tops, but that was incidental compared to the slug damage.) The second year, they were manageable. I tried every single home remedy before this: DE, copper, beer, salt, slug-go, no mulch, sand, etc. I have since learned that wasps and beetles are a predator to slugs. Wasps now have free reign in my garden and the only sting I’ve had is stepping into a shoe with a wasp hiding in it on a cold morning. (Wasps also help with aphid control)
Very interesting articles and questions and answers. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Have a nice day.
Does Corn repell Raccoons? It’s pretty much the same question.
How is it the same question?
First, there is no scientific evidence that cornmeal kills snails or slugs
Second, moist corn meal is what you feed snails several days before you eat them in order to clean the insides out. Try beer in a shallow pan or comerical pellets