I HATE SLUGS

That is a crying shame shiney. I reckon you must have Slug City in your garden this year.

 

Hello Hello Hello.

 

Sorry about your slugs shiney, they must be really full after all that lot. Last years squash look fantastic.

 

Sorry shiney didn't mean to be facetious.

I think all of this slug and snail gathering must take place earlier in the season,you must search them out .....leave no stone unturned,so to speak.I know it is a laborious task but for us it is the only way.

 

I'd say bash them with a banana but it would be a bit squishy ! I collected a bucket full of snails the other night, seems prime conditions for them at the moment. With slugs I go round after showers and before bed with a pair of scissors. I cut them in two and leave them for the birds. I hope that this encourages them to hunt in familiar places ? Sometimes there is no other answer than chemicals but not sure I would want to do this near my crops.

 

I'm just glad I'm not there experiencing these unpleasantries ... and even worse, having to go out in the wee hours collecting the things! :eek:

As I don't have that problem here, thank goodness, I can only offer suggestions I remember from years ago, such as circling pots and lining borders with salt and putting crushed (not too finely) egg shells at the base of the plants.

Someone did say somewhere here at some time in the past about using banana skins chopped up to ward off evil spirits (critters, actually) to plants ... something to do with the potassium, I think. Or did I imagine this?

PS Just remembered another one ... a saucer or two of beer here supposedly works but t'other half would never give up his beer to experiment! :D

[ 20. July 2007, 09:00 PM: Message edited by: Lady of Leisure ]

 

I find the best way to control slugs and snails is to go out at night with a good torch and an old kitchen knife. The knife is useful for winkling slugs off the plants and then chopping them. Snails can be hand picked and stomped. Last night I had a particularly good haul. I counted 10 frogs on my rounds; they seem to ignore the slugs; one fat frog seemed to be having a chat with a monster slug. Hedgehogs, I also have observed, also seem to ignore slugs. Both hedgehogs and frogs appear to prefer worms. Despite popping out most damp nights there always seems to be a new influx of varmints the next night-but nevertheless damage to plants is kept to a minimum. Crushed eggshells and garden lime simply to not work and I would be very cautious about using salt on the garden. Incidentally I have found slugs and snails climbing high on the house walls having presumably crossed a large expanse of paving. I sometimes wonder where they are going and indeed where they came from?

Regards all, Birdbrain

 

Ye, gads, Birdbrain ... welcome to GC, me'thinks.

I'm from Pontypridd but I shan't be night crawling with you. :eek:

Enjoy the forum.

 

shiney what a shame,sorry for you its absolutley
soul destroying, this whole summmmmer has been
a big waste of money,and time
:(

 

Hi Birdbrain,

I was amazed to read you found hedgehogs and frogs to be ambivalent towards your slugs and snails.

I think I must be quite lucky as I only see a wee bit of damage, not enough to worry about anyway.

Reminds me of years ago when my mum watched our elderly cat walking along the garden with a fieldmouse almost hand in hand!

TO

 

Used to be lots of slugs in the garden years ago and no snails over the years I have encouraged frogs and newts by building ponds,if I go out on a wet night there are frogs everywhere its ages since I have seen a slug we do get snails though, I usually launch them on to the sub-station at the back of us this splatters them the birds then feast on them.

 

Shiney
I sympathise with your problem as I have had quite a lot of slug damage myself this year. In the main garden I do not have a problem - I have a lot of birds and frogs and even the hostas remain untouched. However I recently started to run a small nursery and in that area, there are loads of slugs - sometimes it seems to be more like a slug farm! I picked up one the other day and it was more like the size of a mouse than a slug.

I see that you are using black landscape material and I wonder if that gives them somewhere to live - my growing area is covered in landscape material and despite being covered in grit it seems to attract lots of slugs. Anyway I do not use slug pellets (because of the birds and frogs) and am reluctant to devote time to slug patrols. I have been using Nemaslug and although it takes some time to take effect it definitely seems to work.