there are slug pellets on the market that are not harmful to pets or birds. I used some this year on my hostas, and for the first time ever, they are still lovely, not lacy as they usually are by now. Before, I had tried vaseline, egg shells, sand, and the pots are already standing on gravel, I think the slugs were abseiling down from the trees. Don,t put salt on slugs if they are on the lawn, it will leave a large black mark that will take weeks to disappear.