April 24, 2025, 12:13 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Snails are among the most feared pests in the garden. These crawling creatures can stealthily destroy weeks of work in a vegetable patch in just one night. To keep lettuce and vegetables as unharmed as possible, myHOMEBOOK reveals whether and how copper tape can help against these pests.
Hobby gardeners, especially in years with many snails, try various methods to keep the pests away from vegetable beds. To combat snails in the garden and curb a potential infestation, you don’t necessarily have to resort to slug pellets or other chemical solutions. Copper tape, copper wires or chains, and wire fences can also help against snails. This article explains how it works.
Overview
Copper Tape — Does It Work, and if So, How?
How can a metal help against snails? The effect is based on a chemical process. The sole, or underside, of the snail, which it uses to move, constantly secretes mucus that allows it to glide. This mucus often appears as a silvery trail on plant debris, revealing the snails’ nocturnal raids.
The pH value of snail mucus is slightly acidic. When a snail glides over the copper tape, a chemical reaction occurs: Copper ions are released, which, at a certain concentration, are toxic to snails. Ideally, before the concentration becomes too high, snails turn back and avoid the area surrounded by the copper tape.
What to Consider When Applying
Many hobby gardeners observe that copper tape has no effect in their gardens. The snails seem completely unfazed by the device intended as a weapon against them. However, the width of the copper tape likely plays a role here. It should be at least five centimeters wide so that the snails have sufficient contact with the metal while crawling over it, allowing it to develop its repellent effect in combination with the snail mucus.
Additionally, the snail mucus must be acidic enough to release copper ions. Weather can also play a role. If it’s too cold, the chemical reaction is too weak to deter snails.
How Much Does Copper Tape Cost?
Self-adhesive copper tapes are available at hardware stores and online. Prices vary depending on width, length, and manufacturer. Generally, a meter of copper tape costs less than one euro. Longer rolls are often cheaper per meter and are suitable for larger gardens or multiple beds.
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Combining Copper Tape with Other Measures
Copper in the form of tapes, wires, or a small fence can help to some extent against snails and keep them away from vegetable beds and beloved ornamental plants. However, the metal will not keep the protected area completely snail-free. It’s about combining the copper tape with other measures to keep the infestation as low as possible:
- Coffee grounds: Coffee grounds or even cold coffee from the kitchen is also repellent to snails. Unlike copper tape, coffee grounds are not only spread around the plants but can also be sprayed directly onto the plants as cold coffee. The caffeine contained acts neurotoxic in higher concentrations and thus repels snails.
- Slug pellets: To provide extra protection for ornamental plants, you can also use slug pellets in addition to copper tape. However, you should pay attention to the ingredients. Some products contain substances that can be toxic to animals and humans.
- Oatmeal: Shelled and crushed oats are among snails’ favorite foods. Thus, hobby gardeners can distract the mollusks from their actual target in the vegetable bed.
- Slug-resistant plants: Plants with thorns, spines, stinging hairs, toxic sap, or bitter substances are avoided by snails for obvious reasons. Planting these around the vegetable bed makes it significantly harder for the slimy pests to reach the green delicacies.