Viimsi man invents smart trap to catch pest slugs

Hendrik Võrno, a resident of Viimsi municipality, has developed an innovative solution to combat the problem of invasive Spanish slugs that have been devastating gardens.

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My journey began four years ago when I moved to Viimsi municipality and heard that slugs were a big problem for people here.

His invention, a "bait house," uses a mixture of sugar and dry yeast. This combination ferments when exposed to moisture, creating an aroma that attracts the slugs. Once inside the trap, the slugs encounter poison bait, which they consume before leaving.

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I discovered that all my beautiful petunias were dead. When I lifted the edge of the plant, I found the pot was full of slugs.

Võrno's motivation stemmed from his own experience after moving to Viimsi four years ago. He discovered his petunias were destroyed, and upon lifting the pots, found them teeming with hundreds of slugs. Initial attempts to control the pests with poison pellets proved prohibitively expensive, costing up to 150 euros per month during peak periods.

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The financial cost was very high. In peak months, 130–150 euros per month could be spent on this poison.

What began as a personal need quickly turned into a successful business. After posting a video of his bait house on Instagram, Võrno received numerous requests from people struggling with slug infestations. Within 48 hours, he had established his own company. Currently, he is using nine 3D printers at home to produce the traps, which have already garnered over 1,500 orders from across Estonia. Võrno notes that the trap's effectiveness relies on consistent maintenance, requiring the bait to be replaced every few days.

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48 hours later, I had my own company.