A study published in this week’s edition of Nature says that snail and slugs can be repelled and even killed by a solution of 2 percent caffeine.
The findings “aren’t something that surprises me,” said Campbell. “There’s data in frogs, fruit flies, and mosquitoes” that suggest caffeine may be toxic to these animals. The researchers found that large doses of caffeine slowed snails’ the heart rate and made contractions irregular.
If you think that drinking enough coffee will keep the skeeters at bay, remember: a cup of coffee is only 0.05 percent caffeine. But a commercially available snail repellent might not do badly at Starbucks, too.
