...and then there were slugs

First there were moths, now there are slugs! I am plagued by pestilence!

The slimy guys invaded my garden boxes about a week ago, where I found them feasting on my romaine lettuce. Little buggers.

After flinging them away, and harvesting what was left of my romaine, they seem to be leaving things alone...for now. My main concern is for my next planting round for Summer. Slugs are known to make seedlings vanish overnight, as if nothing had ever been there.

At the moment, I have been placing "beer traps" in the boxes. Supposedly, the slugs are drawn to the fermented liquid, get drunk on it, and then proceed to drown themselves. That's the way to go, I suppose. I haven't actually found any slugs yet, though. Perhaps they are beer snobs and are turning their slimy noses (do slugs have noses?) away from the pie pans full of PBR. Hey, if it's good enough for me, it's good enough for them. Sheesh.

I have also read that placing copper flashing around/on the boxes will help deter my slimy enemies. Apparently, the slime from their bodies and the copper react with each other when they come into contact with it, giving the slugs a shock which sends them on their sludgy way. Oooh, science. (o.o).

Another tip from a friend has been to boil garlic cloves in water, then mix that water with a little soap in a spritzing bottle and spray all around the plants. I will be giving this a go as well, when I plan my Summer crops.

Slug, thou art my enemy. Beware.

Any other tips for keeping slugs away? Please leave a comment!