Slugs, snails?

HIAll.
A friend had a raised bed with what we only know as "flowers" in it. Something likes to eat or kill the yellow ones, by eating the leaves and in some cases stems, decapitating the thing. (We pulled that one up, the animal didn't do that!)
The red flowers, different, don't seem to be affected.
Is that slugs or snails? Do the little blue pellets do the job on them?

 

Hi gascar, welcome to GC. sounds like the problem could be snails or slugs, and
yes the blue mini pellets will control them, but be careful where you place them
and don't use too many because birds can sometimes pick them up with obvious
results, there are other methods of snail and slug control that won't affect other
wildlife and I'm sure you will get many replies to your question. :thumb:

Pete

PS: the flowers look like French Marigolds and Red Geraniums (Pelagoniums)

 

Thanks Pete.
Someone know what the pom-pom yellow flowers are?

Q - as this is a raised bed, mostly about a metre off the ground, like a thick brick wall, is there anything one can put on the hard surface where the slugs/snails would have to cross, to stop them?

 

Make sure you have some dark dank places in your garden and get yourself some toads or frogs. I have hosta in my garden among other things that the slugs and snails love and they hardly gat touched cos the amphibians get to the slimy critters first.

And I do have lots of snails (I never see slugs) as I find lots of empty shells!

 

You can try copper tap around the edge of the brick wall - slugs and snails are supposed to hate crossing it. I've never tried it though (I prefer a night time prowl armed with a pair of sharp scissors but also to use biological controls). Most garden centres will sell you this tap, but beware you have no nearby plants with leaves overhanging the bed, as the slimey ones will crawl along this plant and drop down onto the ones they want.

 

Thanks so much. Hope my friend is impressed!
I was a bit perplexed by "copper tap", being a plumber. I could use copper tape for all sorts of things. That sounds nicer than chemicals - unless the pikeys nick it, of course...:skp:

 

Early in the morning typing means I really should check before posting!

If you're a plumber, you should be able to get copper tape for cheaper than what it's sold for in garden centres then.

 

No Aaron, I've not heard of it, except when I was an electronic engineer. We used to use a sticky-backed version on the inside of enclosures as a radio signal screen.
I've noticed what they ask for some things in garden centres though, eg for things like plastic hose...:rotfl:

 

Slug repeller / deterrent copper tape barrier: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

This is the stuff. See, you can email the link direct to your friends and look knowledgeable and helpful, all in one go!

 

There are two types of slug pellets out there - ones based on Metaldehyde and Methiocarb which are potentially lethal to pets, wildlife, children etc. - and Ferramol's Advanced Slug Killer Organic slug pellets which are based on Ferrous Phosphate - which is a form of iron.

These last ones are considered to be "organic" because they are based on a naturally and widely occurring substance (iron) which is not supposed to be harmful to anything aside from slugs and snails. Having said that iron can cause acute liver damage and death in mammals in even moderate doses, so there must still be a risk attached to these too.

I read a post on another forum about a garden hedgehog that was excreting turquoise droppings due to the excessive number of slug pellets it had eaten.
Though this is what the Hedgehog Preservation Society says:
"Although hedgehogs may not necessarily eat the pellets, they are very likely to eat the poisoned slugs and snails and, although these may not be lethal to hedgehogs, they may cause serious internal damage. If you must use slug pellets, put them inside pieces of pipe or under stone slabs where hedgehogs can't get at them. We believe, however, that a "beer-trap" (i.e. a pot of stale beer sunk in the ground) is an equally effective way of killing slugs. In any case, as an extra precaution, all dead slugs should be regularly removed."

Metal (Iron or Aluminium) based pellets are at least as effective as metaldehyde in terms of dispatching slugs, so there's no need to use something as toxic and indiscriminate in it's actions these days.
If you don't want to use pellets there are all sorts of other options depending on how large an area you need to protect. Depending on the size of area/plants that you need to protect barriers can be extremely effective and are much more permanent than any pellets particularly during wet weather.

Spiky things like crushed eggshells, old scourers and sharp gravel are certainly effective. Ecocharlie recycled ceramic shard work even better since they absorb the mucous and stop the slugs getting across at all, as well as being spiky.

You can also use copper in various different forms - bands (as mentioned above) or even old copper pipes, which give them a tiny electric shock, and placing traps - beer traps, as above, or just pieces of wood, stone, card or carpet that act as shelters - outside the barriers will allow you to collect them in the day time.
Another option are "Nemaslug" nematodes - parasites of slugs and snails that live in the soil & that you water into the ground.