slugs, slugs, slugs........

[niknik]

they´re decimating my seedlings. well something is!, cant find any slugs, but loads tell tale slime trails. got to keep hunting!

Anyway.... I was wondering........... Beer taps....... Does it have to be beer? Dont have any, and not about to buy any either, bt there are a few drops of liqueur type stuff in the house, would they be attracted to that? or alcohol free beer?

[greenorelse]

niknik

We found that beer traps attract beneficial insects as well as slugs, so we stopped using them.

One answer is to keep ducks. They can be selectively let into places to forage out slugs and slug eggs (though they will eat worms, more's the pity). Still, over time, they bring down the number of slugs. Edit: ducks eat snails too.

Another answer is to have a pond and bring in some frogspawn. Frogs love slugs. Unfortunately, ducks eat frogs.

Hedgehogs should be encouraged. Again, a devourer of slugs.

[grahamhobbs]

They say strong sugar water is just as good, although I've never used it. It doesn't work on snails though, and it is snails that tend to leave more of a slime trail.

[wulf]

Where are your seedlings? Any chance you can keep them somewhere a bit less at risk?

Wulf

[niknik]

well unfortunately, ducks, frogs, ponds and hedgehogs. just not poossible!
its qita a small, garden, fuly enclosed by walls.....

Just been on a slug hunt. liftedall the pots , etc.... nothing found, at all,.....or snails. In fact never seen a snail in my garden.....

Seedlings. well planted out, some in ground, some in containers..... and thinking bout it, they´ve been munched too. so maybe not just slugs!

Might try the sugarwater.........

It´s bad enough protecting the seedlings plants from cats/dogs.......... , butsmall insecry things.harder to keep out!

[oldjerry]

When we lived in Cornwall (aka Slugsnail central) I used to go out in the veg patch after dark with a powerful torch in one hand,and a humungus Talisker in the other,and collect dozens of the little buggers.You have to turn off all the houselights,as they wait till they think you're in bed before they pop out for a bite to eat.Quite often I'd collect 20 to 30 in one go,but the Talisker makes accurate record-keeping somewhat problematic.( Oddly our ducks thought they weren't worth eating,unlike the hens who ripped them to pieces in a very satisfying manner. BW

[niknik]

My chooks wont touch them!. I did see a video on You tube where someone cut them in half first, then chickens got to like them!. but Im too sqeamish for that! I now just throw them into my bucket of nettle fertilizer. they seem to disintegrate . I did last year put them into jar of salt water!. till i caught the dog drinking it!

[Odsox]

Copper stops them, although it would probably be difficult with seedlings.
I chopped up an old hot water cylinder into strips and bent them into rings, now when I plant out cabbage, cauliflower or broccoli seedlings I put a ring around them (like a fence) and that stops them using my cabbages for hotel accommodation.
It allegedly gives them an electric shock when they touch copper, but whatever .. it works.

I'm now collecting old 15mm water pipes to nail to the top edges of my raised beds.

[pops]

oh nice tip - any ideas for dealing with a slug problem (ahem, gross bit coming up) in the house? our victorian terrace is rife with them we've tried collecting them in the dark but never seem to whittle away the numbers.
obvioulsy can't put down slug pelets in the house but, eurgh - i've really had enough now

[niknik]

Od sox. do you think the copper from electric wiring would be enough?, got loads of that, i could strip the plastic off!

Pops. glad Im not the only one to have found a slug INDOORS!

It was an enormous one too, dont know how it got in either, it was a long way from any doors or windows!. actually thought the dog had done a doo doo when first saw it!

Lemon juice definitely works.......

Lat yearI saw a crate of snails at the market, all crawling up , then back, and the old boy said he´d smeared lemon juice all round the top!

I tried when clearing some rubble and stones. smeared the top 2"of the rubble bucket, and threw 3 slugs in I found. quite entertaining watching them crawl up, back down, round a bit more, up / down etc.....
but thats no good for plants in ground though. but having thought of it, Ill go and liberally smearall the pots / containers tomorrow1 ( helps to have a lemon tree in garden though!

[niknik]

If it isnt slugs tho. which I doubtfor some of th pots. what else could it be?

Caterpillars definitely started attacking the PSB, but I do a regular hunt round the leaves and have reoved eggs and miniature caterpillars, and no sign of those anywher nearthe affected plants, which arentnearthee PSB anyway.

[MKG]

This might be of interest to you, niknik ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2876862

If you're seeing slime trails, as you said you have, then it's definitely at least partly slugs or snails. There are lots of other possible culprits, but if you do have a slug problem, then probably 90% of the damage can be put down to them.

Mike

[niknik]

Interesting link Mike. Thanks.

there are definitely slugs out there. 995 not snails. never yet seen one ( 9yrs) !

I wish the compost heap was more enclosed, I´d relocate them there. Have to have a rthink about protecting the plants I think!

[greenorelse]

well unfortunately, ducks, frogs, ponds and hedgehogs. just not poossible!
its qita a small, garden, fuly enclosed by walls.....

Not even room for a tiny pond, say 2 foot square, 1 foot deep? Shame, they are a brilliant addition to any garden. You can get very small ready-shaped plastic ponds.

Anyway, I concur with Oddsox though we haven't yet tried it - copper. It's just that I've seen it recommended in so many books. We have scrap bits of copper pipe lying around; now I know what to do with it!

[niknik]

I relly don´t think so!. I´ll have a good look though. and measure, but ts an odd sort of grden, and at present I have 3 areas, so can sort of crop rotate, and can put up mini greenhouse thingy on each, to get stuff started!...

wouldn´t the cats, eatthe frogs? or attack them at leats?

I do have a round lrge tub I ould bury if I find a suitable spot. but what plants needed etc?