are slug rings effective?

I'm probably talking through my backside here, and am happy to be corrected. I was told that by using copper it provides a slight electrical charge that discourages the "slime brigade". (provided the copper completes a circuit i.e. the ends touch). If that is correct, then I guess anything with copper in it would work.

 

Yes it's an electro-chemical reaction. :thmb: You can experience the effect by touchng the tip of your tongue onto the postive terminal of a 1.5 volt battery. This also shows that you don't need pure copper as the battery terminals are brass.

I can't see the logic of having to have a completed loop, other than it doesn't leave a gap for the slugs to crawl through. There shouldn't, as far as I'm aware be a difference in electrical potential between the inside and outside of a loop whether it's open or closed.

 

Theres talk of using caffeine here,

http://www2b.abc.net.au/science/k2/stn/archives/archive17/newposts/81/topic81560.shtm

Not that we could here though, unless its a registered pesticide already.

 

hallo all,

sittin here with mouth wide open - all that electrical stuff above my head BUT have lots of wires left over (yellow and green) from rewired house last year. so if i strip those ans lay them flat it would do, wouldnt it?

happy new year to everyone.

May your god go with you and may you find your happiness in 2011

karaman
the spirit never dies
+++++++++++++

 

I've heard of this electrical theory before, but not being very scientific I find it difficult to take on board.

If thats the case, why have I never heard of a copper acid battery or perhaps a copper alkaline battery.
Or is that what duracell are?
Whatever it dont kill the b*****

Either way, must say I've not tried it before, but slug pellets are probably much more effective and probably cheaper.
Now ducking down behind the parapet:D

 

Hi Karaman,

No reason why it shouldn't work. If you have 10mm2 proper earth wire left over you'll find several strands of copper once you've stripped it, so a little will go a long way.:thmb:

And a happy new year to you too.

 

If you want to try an experiment that shows electrochemical reaction take a lemon or orange and stick into it a copper nail and a galvanised or zinc nail. You'll then have a copper-zinc acid battery. You should be able to briefly light a low voltage bulb, or if you have one measure the voltage with a multimeter.
You can do the same thing with a potato but this creates an alkaline battery.

 

I'll take your word for it Dave, and thats an interesting experiment.
I've come across that kind of thing before.

But as you say,I thought you needed two contacts of different metals.

I cant see where the two terminals are with just a copper wire, I presume the slug provides the acid/alkaline part of the process.
Would you not need another wire of a different metal and the slug to actually be in contact with both at the same time make a small current?

 

I've powered a 1.5volt blub from a lemon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baghdad_Battery

Wonder if the ancient mesopotamians had slug problems :hehe:

 

HI Karaman. Yep, that'll work:gnthb:but as pete says, it won't kill them, it just discourages them.:wink:

 

Once saw a research paper where spiders had been given a range of drugs then their webs were analysed. Heroin, cocaine, speed, ecstasy and maryjane exposed spiders showed little effect. The most messed up unrecognisable webs were made after caffeine exposure.
Have no idea how to appy this to gardening but it was interesting.

D

 

I've done that experiment, its true, coffee was the one that got me. Can't drink it anymore. I make my own Dandelion coffee instead.

The recipes say 2 tablespoons of dried root per cup, boiled for 10 mins.

I add 2 spons of sugar & milk. What the recipes don't say is that you can add fresh water to the same roots, boil again & get another 8-10 cups out of the same roots :thmb:

 

What does it taste like Ziggy :cnfs: ( Hopefully not boiled dandelion roots ! )

 

A little more bitter than coffee, slightly nutty or grainey I guess. A lot more flavour than tea.

http://www.leaflady.org/health_benefits_of_dandelions.htm

Nice enough for me to weed round dandelions in the veg patch till they are big enough to dig.

 

"Nice enough for me to weed round dandelions in the veg patch till they are big enough to dig."

Would growing Scorzonera (sp?) work instead?