Building Slug-Proof Planting Barrels

Step 3 Pull out the carpet tape.

Pull out the carpet tape. I chose to do my copper section five or six inches from the rim of the container. The copper section is well above any plants and other materials near the containers for slugs to climb up and over the copper strips. If they can find a way in, they will. Your containers will probably sit in and around different materials than mine, so consider where on the container is best to place your copper. Also, I'm fighting banana slugs, so I have made my copper section much larger than you may need. It's 4 to 6 inches wide. The carpet tape location determines the copper tape location. Since the containers are tapered, you'll notice that it will have some wrinkles and folds as you adhere the tape. You want to keep the tape going around the container in a relatively straight line so you don't waste any copper tape.

Depending on how wide your copper strip needs to be, make 2 to 4 passes with the carpet tape. It does not need to touch at each edge of the tape or at each end of the strip. See the photo. The copper tape can bridge 1/4 to 1/2 inch gaps (depending on the width of the copper tape).

Now you have carpet tape wrapped around the container and the paper on the back of the tape is still in place. Using a gloved hand, rub the carpet tape with firm pressure. You are ensuring good contact between the carpet tape and the container - this is important!

And now you can peel off the carpet tape's paper backing! It may tear at the wrinkles and folds but comes off pretty well. I do this part without gloves so I can use a finder nail to peel at the tape edge. This is a great part of the project for kids to help. Just remind them to avoid touching the now exposed sticky surface of the tape.