it will soon be spring and our little slimy friends called slugs will be on the move. many people now grow plants in pots/containers and slugs have a ball. the answer is simple and works. spray wd40 around the pot and no more problems. hope this helps.
I tried the WD 40 but when it rains then you have to spray again and again . I found Vaseline is better ..a thick band of it painted round the bottom and top of the pots with a brush and under any rims .The rain won't wash it off .
The other thing I found good was crushed seashells in the pots .You can get a box of them at any good garden centre for a quid or so .They don't like the sharp edges and clear off elsewhere.
I'm not a fan of slug pellets as they can harm wildlife and pets although I think there are some that are environmentally friendly
To deter those dear little squirrels or any other rugrat type things put chicken wire over the pots or a put a couple of pine cones or mothballs on top. Covering the compost with gravel or stones is good too.
It's an ongoing battle really .I'm all for live and let live but it is disheartening when you nuture stuff only to find it decimated !
They adore beer and will creep a thousand miles to get it. I used to do the beer trap thing ..Emptying it out was yukky to say the least ! All slime and sludge . Lesser of two evils really .If you have beer traps you get more of 'em .It's like a red rag to a bull. I used to go out at night with a torch and sling 'em over the fence ...but the swines always came back !!
A friend of mine puts out the stalky bits and leaves from greens. She reckons that while they chew on that they leave her plants alone .
I find a good deterant for squirrels digging in pots is to insert thin canes about six inches and four to five inches apart keeps them away but be careful you don`t spear bulbs if you`ve planted them earlier.