slugs and woodlice eating potatoes

Hi,
How do I stop the little bu**ers eating my spuds? A lot of my potatoes are full of holes and some have the slugs or maggots still munching away....I even found woodlice in some of them as well as the slugs.
This is the third year that I've had this problem....and I've had to lift the remainder before they all get scoffed.
Any ideas or solutions please??

 

Woodlice probably moved into the holes afterwards, don't think its them that damage the tubers.

Take it we're talking the black keeled slugs that burrow underground. Nematodes are probably your best bet.

 

I used nematodes before and I'm not sure it made a lot of difference really. I also rotate my potatoes and nematodes are quite expensive and only a short term fix.
Have to do some more research and find out what the slugs hate.

 

It's a difficult one if they are underground.

Slugs hate :

Salt, hedgehogs, lump hammers, wood ash, hair & broken bracken stems. They'll suck the juice from bracken & then die in situ.

Slugs love :

Beer & upturned citrus peel.

 

You always get a few being nibbled. The only time I've had a whole crop ruined was in virgin ground that was very much clay and wet.

 

Some plot holders at our allotments have a similar problem, but initially its caused by another pest.."Wireworm"

Wireworm dwell where grass grows and will burrow into a spud leaving little holes in the tubers, slugs then move into these holes and enlarge them...making you assume that slugs are the whole problem. Over the last few years I have had this problem too but its much less this year as I have removed, covered or dug up all grass.

Nematodes will help and I used them this year myself, but they must be used at the right time, tubers start bulking up just before the plants flower, and nematodes need to be used about a week before then to give them a chance to work properly. Soil must be kept moist to keep the Nematodes thriving and will give your crop a good six weeks protection which is usually long enough for them to flower, stop flowering then start to die back as you harvest them.

Steve...

 

And here is my King Edward crop, harvested yesterday (8 or 9 plants only).Usually these are very susceptible to wireworm and slugs, but as you can see they are very clean and damage free. I think two have small holes in them and more where damaged by my fork as I lifted them!



Steve...