Getting rid of slugs/snails

we were watching springwatch too! it was quite interesting what bill said about the black slugs though, he said "if theyre big and black, put em back!" i didnt know that they ate all the rotting vegetation and not our plants. i leave em where they are now!!!

 

Steve,
How do you know it's a hedgehog rustling through the hedge, and not a slug that's had too much beer and's trying too find his way home?.

 

The slug would be singing ' show me the way to go home' whereas the hedgehog would be making noises like a 10 year old eating a water melon....easy really )

 

One thing has proved more popular at attracting the slugs than my beer trap. My basil container :( I think I'll have to resort to some of those friendly slug pellets in there before they demolish the lot. I've not seen any hedgehogs around our way, do they live in towns as well as the country then? My mum gets loads, there was a baby one in the path on Saturday evening, it was ever so cute!

 

Basil aswell as my french marigolds then Hannah?!
I wouldn't mind but I only bought the b***** marigolds cos I heard cats don't like 'em!

 

I believe that the most effective way is to go out at night with a torch and catch them red handed!

I got fed up with them eating my plants so I got an old car inspection lamp with an aluminium pie dish bent round it as a reflector and to keep the light out of my eyes and a long flex from an old mower. I used a old spoon and fork as I was not so keen on handling them and lifted them off into a pot (with no holes). When finished I filled the pot with water and pushed another identical pot down into it and drowned them. Works a treat.

I noticed a big improvement in my plants and I noticed that the numbers I caught were going down. I am sure it is the only reliable way, and very organic.

 

I've noticed a dramatic decrease ever since I started catching them and giving them flying lessons! I put blue diamond in the beer trap, total waste of time, they won't touch it, so we've used it to clean the drains instead.

I caught an intelligent snail last night - won't climb the container because (presumably) I put copper tape around it, so it climbed the wall and onto a handy leaf instead... so that's how the beggars got in! He/She had a hasty flying lesson too.

 

Hannah wonder what your neighbours think of this new Pilots lol
--------
Ladybird

 

Nobody's said anything yet, but then I am thoughtful enough to send them in the direction of the garages rather than their gardens! However, once I find out whose cat is using my (ok, somewhat empty) runner bean patch as a litter tray...

 

I havent set my beer traps with fresh beer for a week and I saw this morning the gits had been at my plants

tonight they will die *mwahahahahaha*

:D

 

Slugs I tried the friendly ones they are tooo friendly..I bought the deadly ones put them down after it had rained,and had to hose down the bodies of the patio... there ain't no half measures...It is like smoking you have to take the plunge in an all out effort half measures don't work, all this advice from a septuagenarian, got a good dictionary here.

 

COFFEE! it works for me on slugs & snails & nematodes are definitely worth it for slugs - See my post in the thread below inc. other organic methods
http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000345;p=1
The heel of a boot is pretty effective too. (My copper mat experiment is working well in the veg patch - barriers on the ground in crammed borders are pointless - the b*****s just slime from plant to plant

 

How do you use the coffee Bayleaf? Sprinkle the granules/powder around or make 'em a cuppa and leave it out for them? Sounds an interesting idea.

 

Hi JJordie
I find a glass of wine for myself while I'm doing this helps
Four table spoons of cheap (Don't bother with good stuff - it doesn't work!!!) coffee granules/powder in a handsprayer, top with luke warm water to dissolve, soak susceptible plants every evening for a week & thereafter after damp weather & bob's your uncle - the molluscs don't like it & it is slightly toxic to them. This method works well if your plants are all cheek by jowl. Alternatively if you have space around your plants a layer of used coffee grounds right up to the stem also works (I don't have fresh coffee often enough for this to work for me + my garden is sloping so when it rains/is watered it just gets washed away. Do have a look at the organic gardening catalogue link though - some good stuff there.

 

Thanks Bayleaf will give it a go. Always interested in organic gardening.