The Cucumber-Aluminum Foil Hack People Use To Repel Slugs (& Does It Really Work)?

Slugs can wreak havoc in your garden, munching their way through your fruits, vegetables, flowers, and even the leaves of your plants. Some people believe that a hack involving cucumbers paired with aluminum foil is the secret to keeping slugs out of your garden. Certain online sources claim that placing sliced cucumbers or the peels of the vegetable onto aluminum foil or an aluminum dish, such as a pie pan, causes a chemical reaction. Supposedly, this reaction creates a smell that goes unnoticed by humans but that slugs hate, driving them out of your garden.

Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence that supports the theory that cucumbers and aluminum work together to repel slugs. There also doesn't seem to be much information about what chemical reaction occurs between cucumbers and aluminum. Additionally, slugs are known to love munching on juicy produce and will go after cucumbers themselves. Rather than relying on this DIY pest control hack and potentially creating a buffet for bothersome slugs, try more reliable options, such as natural predators or copper barriers.

There are tons of DIY pest control solutions floating around the internet and while some of them are backed by science, this hack doesn't seem to have any support. All evidence supporting this slug control method seems to be anecdotal. Though some people claim to have success by placing pieces of aluminum foil with sliced cucumbers throughout their gardens, there is no proof that this works and no guarantee it will evict your garden slugs.

If you choose to try this hack, be aware that the slugs might just slither right over the foil to eat the cucumber you carefully sliced for them. One YouTuber, Garden Fundamentals, tested the hack to find that these critters were totally unbothered. While you could try this hack as an experiment to see how the slugs behave, it likely won't save your produce from these pests and you'll probably have to find a more reliable method of control to protect your garden.

If you don't want to waste any time before you start to banish pesky slugs from your garden, try creating a barrier around your plants or garden with copper. While there may not be much scientific basis that aluminum repels slugs, a 2003 study published in Crop Protection found that copper could keep snails away, and several university extensions recommend this method as well. The mucous produced by the slug reacts with the copper to create the sensation of a slight shock, driving the slugs away. However, this method works best if the copper foil or strips are rather wide.

Alternatively, you might choose to let nature help you get rid of the slugs eating your vegetables. Birds often find slugs to be a tasty treat, and attracting more birds to your yard could help bring down the slug population. Another humane option would be to simply pluck the pests right off your plant. You can usually find the slugs coming out to feed at night. Pull them off your precious produce and dispose of them.