Homemade Beer Traps: Get Rid of Slugs, Pillbugs and More

Got slugs? Come learn how to make DIY beer traps to attract and kill slugs, snails, pill bugs and more. Homemade beer traps are a cheap, easy and effective way to control slug populations in the garden when necessary. They really do work!

As organic gardeners, we’re never on a mission to outright eradicate anything. Nor should a garden be “perfect”, free of pests or occasional plant damage! Yet following an unusually extra-wet winter, our garden has been overrun with more slugs than ever this spring. So in an effort to reduce their population, protect our plants from further damage, and avoid the use of chemical slug bait, we set up a few slug beer traps instead.

Why do slugs like beer? How do beer traps work? 

Because slugs like to party! Just kidding. Slugs are attracted to beer primarily because of the sweet, fermented yeasty aroma. That said, other forms of fermented yeast may attract slugs too, including watered-down sourdough starter! (Yes, we tried it, and it works quite well.)

Beer traps work by luring in slugs, and as they enter and drink the beer, they become intoxicated, can’t get back out, and drown. One limitation is that beer traps typically only attract slugs within the immediate vicinity, or about 3 feet away. Therefore, you may need to use several traps throughout the garden or a couple per garden bed. 

What other pests are attracted to beer traps?

In addition to slugs, beer traps attract a number of other garden pests including pill bugs (rollie pollies), snails, earwigs (pincher bugs), and cutworms. We often find a variety of insects in our beer traps – but thankfully never any bees, ladybugs, lacewings, or other “good guys”. Larger critters may also be attracted to the beer however. On occasion, our beer traps have been relocated and licked clean (including the slugs being eaten) by what we suspect is a raccoon or maybe an opossum. 

Are pill bugs bad in the garden?

Not necessarily! Pill bugs or rollie pollies are not usually bad in the garden. They primarily eat decaying matter, which actually helps improve organic matter and nutrient cycling in the soil. However, if there is a robust enough population of pill bugs and not enough other food sources, they can quickly become pests and turn to eating garden plants.

Pill bugs are especially attracted to ripe fruit, tender new seedlings and sprouts. That can be very frustrating, so we’ve used beer traps for rollie pollies when necessary too. Leaving a few unwanted leaves or bits of produce lying on the soil (e.g. melon rinds) can also give rollie pollies something to munch on – besides your plants!

What’s the best beer for slug traps?

Slugs and snails are not too picky about their beer. Any beer can work in a trap, though slugs seem especially drawn to light, yeasty beers like lagers, pilsners, hefeweizen, or blonde ales. Plus, slugs are a cheap date – no need to give them your premium brews!

What kind of container is best to make a beer trap?

You can make a slug beer trap out of any kind of upcycled container – as long as it has a wide opening and can hold a couple inches of beer inside. Most gardeners use wide shallow containers, though I’ve seen some beer traps that are more narrow and deep too (like a water bottle).  

Save and rinse out cat food cans, dog food cans, or tuna cans work great! Other ideas include plastic food storage (tupperware) containers, aluminum pie pans, used cottage cheese, yogurt, margarine, or sour cream tubs, cut water bottles, plastic cups, or similar. I’m sure you already have something on hand!

How to Make a Slug Beer Trap

Instructions

1. Partially bury the beer trap so the top rim of the container is about level with the surrounding soil – especially if your container is tall or has a curved rim. That way, slugs or pillbugs can crawl and fall right in the top. This is especially important if your goal is to trap rollie pollies. We haven’t found it necessary to trap slugs with cat food cans though. We set the cans right on top of soil or gravel, and the slugs easily crawl up the short straight sides and into the trap. 
   
   
2. Fill the trap about one-third to half full with beer, depending on the size of the container. Add at least an inch of beer in the bottom of the trap (up to 2 or 3 inches), but there’s no need to waste beer by filling a large trap with more than that. Also don’t fill the trap all the way to the top of the container, which makes it too easy to crawl back out.
   
   
3. Tuck the beer trap in the shade under slug-prone plants like lettuce, strawberries, or other areas with a lot of slug activity. Hint: look for shiny slug trails and place the beer traps nearby! Remember, beer traps will only draw in slugs, snails and pillbugs that are fairly close by (within 3 feet) so make several beer traps throughout the garden as needed.
   
   
4. For the best results, dump the slug beer trap contents, rinse, and refresh the container with fresh beer every couple of days. Warning: they do tend to get pretty stinky after a few days. Also keep in mind the beer will evaporate more quickly in hot conditions, so you’ll want to make the beer a tad deeper initially or refresh it more often.

And that’s how to make beer traps for slugs, pill bugs, and more.

Well folks, I hope this tip helps you control pests and minimize plant damage in your garden. If needed, you can also browse 10 organic ways to control slugs and snails here. Please consider sharing this post of leave a rating below if you found it useful! Now go crack open a brew and pour one out for the slug homies. Cheers!

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