Noticing a slug in your sink is the last thing you want when you’re about to prepare some food or start washing up. However, it does happen, and it’s actually surprisingly common. In this article, you’ll find out why slugs can end up in your sink, how to get rid of them, and most importantly, the steps you can take to stop it from happening again.
So keep reading to find out everything you want to know!
Why Are There Slugs In Your Sink?
The main reason slugs may end up in your sink is because you’ve made your sink extremely inviting to them. Slugs love warmth, moisture, and shade. Your sink will provide all three, and when combined with any food remnants that are left behind for a slug to eat, you can begin to understand why a sink is so appealing to them.
How To Remove Slugs From Your Sink
1. Remove Them By Hand
If you aren’t faint-hearted, the easiest way to get rid of slugs in your sink is to simply remove them by hand. If you’re not up for that, you can also use utensils such as a cup or some paper. It’s incredibly easy and won’t take a second.
All you have to decide is whether you want to kill the slug or release him back into the wild.
2. Add A Slug Trap
If you don’t need to use your sink urgently, you can add a slug trap to it to catch any slugs inside. To do this, just get a shallow bowl and fill it about 1″ in height with beer or a sugary drink. This should help to attract any other slugs that are hiding around your sink as well. So you may end up catching more that you haven’t even seen yet.
3. Salt
Salt is the age-old method of removing slugs from your home. However, it’s not the most humane way. If you do plan on using salt, the trick is to trace slug trails back to their source, which will normally be a hole or crevice somewhere. Once you’ve done this, simply pour the salt into the crevice, and the slug will be no more.
How Do You Prevent Slugs From Entering Your Sink?
Fortunately, there are a lot of different ways you can prevent slugs from entering your sink. Here are the main things you should do!
1. Copper Tape
Copper tape is a great deterrent for slugs, and while it’s normally used for gardens, it can definitely be used in the home. The copper tape just needs to be placed down as a barrier around your sink, and the slugs will hate it. Because once they touch it, they’ll be given a shock that will deter them from going near it again.
2. Reseal All Doors And Windows
The next important thing to do is make sure you’re resealing all the doors and windows to your house. Slugs can get through tiny cracks and holes, and you’ll be amazed at how small a gap can be for them to get through. This is the perfect time to go round and reseal everything. Not only will it keep slugs out, but it will also keep a draft out as well.
3. Use Expanding Foam To Fill Holes
If any holes or cracks go from the outside of your house to the inside, you should use expanding foam to fill them up. This way, you’re going to make it impossible for slugs to get in. And not only will it be impossible for them to get in if there are any slugs in the gaps when you do it, but you also won’t have to worry about them anymore.
4. Clean Your Kitchen
It goes without saying, but if there are slugs in your kitchen, that means it’s a good time to give it a solid clean. Make sure you get into any crevice you think slugs could be hiding, and check the kitchen for mold and fungus as well (which slugs love to eat).
5. Check For Leaks
While you’re cleaning your kitchen, you should also be checking for leaks. Slugs like cool, moist areas, and if there’s a leak in your kitchen, it could be creating the perfect habitat for slugs. Check for any places your dishwasher may be leaking, and then get it fixed as soon as possible.
6. Use Slug Repelling Plants
Rosemary, geraniums, lavender, and euphorbias are all plants you can add to your kitchen whose smells are going to repel slugs. Just putting a few of them close to the kitchen sink should be enough to make slugs avoid returning to it.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’ve noticed slugs in your kitchen sink, then you may be interested in some of these frequently asked questions.
Can Slugs Live In Your Plumbing System?
The chances of a slug living in your plumbing system are highly unlikely. Drains are equipped with a ‘trap’ that holds water to stop odors from entering your kitchen. This would make it extremely hard for a slug to survive without drowning.
On top of this, every time you use water in your sink, it flushes the trap adding freshwater, so the slug would probably be flushed down.
And lastly, all the chemicals such as dishwashing soap you use will be extremely harmful to slugs and their mucus secretions, which would also make it difficult for them to survive.
Do Slugs Come Up The Drain?
Again, while it’s highly unlikely, it’s not impossible for a slug to come up your drain. If there’s a crack or hole in a pipe where a slug can get to, then they may be able to climb up from there. If you think this is the case, you should definitely get a structural engineer out to survey any damage and fix the issue.
Recap
Now you know all the different ways you can prevent a slug from living in your sink, and most importantly, how to remove them. Fortunately, prevention and removal are incredibly easy, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about the issue unless it becomes a recurring problem.
If you liked this article, make sure you check out the rest of the website; otherwise, have a great day!
