There are many kinds of battery available. The more Ah (ampere-hours) the battery has, the more power it holds and the longer it will last before recharging becomes necessary.
6 volts are enough to deter slugs.
9 volts also work perfectly, but less powerful batteries are available.
Although often recommended, 12 volts are a bit too much because this tension can kill tiny snails and slugs.
If the fence kills slugs, their dead bodies will attract more slugs into the garden.
Slugs are highly sensitive and can smell dead animals from far away.
They are also cannibals, preferring to eat dead relatives.
You should be aware of that and go for a 6-volt system.
Additional parts needed for a solar-powered slug fence
One advanced way is to use a solar cell together with a solar charge controller.
This requires a little more knowledge about electronics.
The easiest way is to use a solar LED garden light, as shown in the following video.
Video: Slug fence with solar power
Distance between the tracks?
When deciding on the distance between the two lines, there are two things to consider:
First, the lines should not be too close to each other because the closer together they are, the quicker a short circuit manifests.
Second, small slugs and snails should be deterred safely. The strips must therefore be close enough to each other to do this.
If the strips are too far apart, tiny slugs could move across by touching only one strip/wire at a time.
Therefore, a distance of around 0.4 inches (ca. 1 cm) would be a good choice. Even most young slugs are longer than that.
You could even lay the tracks a little further apart – as in the video – to avoid a short circuit due to rain or other water.
After mounting the tracks/wires, each of the two battery poles is connected to one of the wires or strips.
The ‘fence’ is now under tension, and when a slug or snail sets out to crawl over, it will get a small electric shock and turn around.
With a functioning electric fence, plants are safe.
Avoid Short Circuits
A short circuit occurs if the two lines touch each other or if something (leaf, water, slug, etc.) completes a connection between them.
In the case of a short circuit, the battery discharges quickly.
That is why during construction, you should ensure that the current-carrying wires are not installed loosely but firmly so that they cannot move around.
As mentioned above, there should always be a safe distance between them to make sure that they cannot touch each other.
Self-adhesive copper tape, therefore, offers some advantage.
Once firmly attached, it cannot move – unlike stretched-out wire.
If the fence is to be mounted on wood, then easy-to-install perforated metal tape is also suitable.
Perforated tape is a bit pricier than a copper band, but it is more stable and durable.
If you know other recommendable methods, please leave a comment.
Advantages of Electric Slug Fences
If the fence works, surely no slug or snail will be able to come into the bed. The plants are safe.
This is a hugely successful method compared to many other slug control measures.
The wonderful thing about this method is that the fence can be built easily, and you do not have to make a big investment.
Another significant advantage of the electric fence, as with other snail fences, is that no snail has to die to protect the plants.
Disadvantages
Unfortunately, the fence is safe only as long as there is a flow of electricity.
If an electric problem occurs, the protection is gone immediately.
That is why you need to check an electric slug fence regularly.
Anyone who knows electric fences knows that they can be susceptible to interference. This is also the case with electric slug fences.
The common difficulty is that short circuits occur, the battery discharges, and the fence is out of service for a while.
Water conducts electricity. Therefore, short circuits can be caused by rainwater, watering, or irrigation.
The fence should therefore be kept as dry as possible. Unfortunately, this is difficult in the garden.
Morning dew could result in a short circuit, meaning that the battery would discharge.
In addition, slugs and snails that try to get through can cause a short circuit.
If you do not use a 6–9 volts system, but a higher voltage, slugs can die at the fence and then cause short circuits.
At 6–9 volts, they get a shock, but it is not deadly. Therefore, it is important to stay in the low voltage range and not to use higher voltages.
Plants and other animals can also cause short circuits.
So, check the power supply to the fence at least once a day. It is best to check in the evening before nocturnal animals come out.
If the fence fails, plants lose their protection immediately.
Conclusion
Electric fences work and can be an alternative to other methods of slug control, such as slug pellets.
Costs are low and installation is easy.
Using solar power can make things more complicated.
Fences need to be checked regularly because if there is a problem with the power supply, the protection is immediately affected.
For a fence to work properly, it is good to have a skilled, resourceful craftsman at hand who is ready to carry out emergency repairs.
The fence’s vulnerability to water is impractical in the garden.
Therefore, using an electric fence against snails is a good idea, but not the best choice.
Advantages of Electric Slug Fences
Advantages of Electric Slug Fences
Disadvantages
Conclusion
