Slug / Snail Defence Legs for Propagator Trays

☼ A game-changer after endless slug attack ☼ Variants for Stewart trays and Garland deeproot propagators
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updated June 1, 2025

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Raising a garden tray on legs makes means a superior defence can be concentrated in just 4 places.  

I've made variants of these sturdy and highly effective legs, specifically adapted to the following tray types:

Copper is noxious to molluscs but harmless to humans and shelties, therefore it makes a great alternative to chemical methods of slug control. 

But the familiar, smooth copper tape is little deterrent to the biggest hungry slugs, who slither across with barely a wince. Their slime layer maybe helps insulate them from the copper.

Now : confronting them with spiky copper wires - this changes the game! 

Here I've used a pre-made copper mesh with the following spec, and it works well. 
A slightly lighter gauge would probably suffice too.
   Aperture: 1.23mm
   Wire Diameter: 0.35mm
   Mesh No.: 16 Holes Per Linear Inch
  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133824172841?var=434393535815 

Suggestions :

  • With wall thickness ≈ 1.2 mm and infill 15%, the legs are quite strong, and you can print a set of 4 at around 100g of material, which is a couple of quid or so. 
     
  • For best durability use an outdoor-rated material like ASA. 
    I just did them in PLA+ so far, but varnished them with something claiming high UV resistance. Will see how they fare.
     
  • The clips that join the two collar halves together have been designed for compactness, and they're a bit fussy about the diameter of the object they clamp around. This should ideally be the nominal diameter “Ds”. If there's a gap then the the collar is likely to come unclipped. 
    Wrapping a smaller, or non-round, object (e.g. a plant stem) with a few turns of some thin foam sheet, or similar, can help to prevent loosening of the collar.
     
  • If you want to make just a few of the collar pieces, using upcycled materials instead of buying copper mesh, see model 1299210.
     
  • The flat side of the leg, which sat on the print bed, presents a tiny crescent of a hole against the inside of the collar. I suggest to block this against baby slugs.
     
  • As with any barrier type defence, check regularly to ensure that debris, overhanging plants, etc. don't provide a bypass route. If there's a way in, the slugs will find it!

 

FreeCAD source model included.
I'm aware there are many brands and varieties of garden tray, and it'd be great to make these legs more paremetric so that users can more easily adapt them.
However this particular model is a little bit too complex, and the various trays on the market seem just that bit too dissimilar.
But experienced FreeCAD users will be able to adapt without too much problem, I think, and remixes are very welcome. 
 

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