The weather recently put me off too! I tried the copper tape last year and it was successful for a couple of months (bought at Homebase). Also beware of your fingers - the tape can unstick and the sharp edges can protrude giving nasty sharp cuts!!
I have/had a beautiful hosta which they devoured in a couple of days (whilst I was away), seems to be growing again.
We have just had new fences put up on either side and the garden's looking very bare - here's hoping for some good weather.
Put some beer in a small food container, plastic one, on the ground where you see the slugs/snails eating flower or leaves. In one or two days you'll see the container full of dead (for binge driking) slugs/snails.
I'm currently using the beer to protect primroses and I usually do to protect my strawberries.
Delicate question FP - what do you do with the delightful contents of your container? Compost? Haringey food recycling box?? Buried in your garden? Am honestly (and sadly) interested!
I gave up with beer outside the strawberries because simply there were too many. I switched to "bio-killer" to reduce the population... draconian remedy.
I should feel guilty somehow, Romans imported the "nice friends" because it was considered "gourmet food". Couldn't they bring over something else, I don't know... just wine?