[rowlandwells]

I've been looking at buying some slug pellets in hand for next year I looked at several suppliers and prices ranging from £75 for a large bag to around a fiver for smaller quantities the slug pellets are said to contain ferric phosphate and not methaldehyde as its now banned

so having used all of my slug pellets last year I need to re-stock so once again  ask the members there opinion's  what's the best brand you used last year and would recommend me buying it the ferric brands do seem to have  quite a rite up but then there all promoting there brands as a best buy

like all things the prof of the pudding is in the eating is it not any feedback on this topic would be appreciated

[Christine]

We've seen no great enthusiasm for the new slug pellets at the trading hut as the users who have come in say they aren't very effective.

[snowdrops]

I don’t use anything & haven’t for over 20 years. Don’t find the need to either to be honest. Maybe I’m just lucky, get a tiny bit of damage now & again but nothing major.

[mumofstig]

Maybe I’m just lucky,

Yes you are
Most gardeners think they are the worst of the many pests  that spoil what we grow. Some years I'd have no brassicas, if it weren't for pellets and traps 

[rowlandwells]

once again I agree with Mum I think your very lucky snowdrops because if we didn't use slug pellets and insect spray it would be a complete waste of our time growing brassicas

and I'm disappointed to hear ferric phosphate slug pellets aren't very effective that's made me reconsider what mite be an alternative and at the same time finding an effective product for slug control that's worth buying
so its back to the drawing board as they say

[Hampshire Hog]

I have started using ferric phosphate but am apprehensive about 2022.
The challenge of physical methods is mainly one of time. Picking up slugs at night armed with a torch is somewhat of a problem particularly in the summer months. Possibly ok in the garden but less so at the allotment. This may lead to me trying to grow crops that slugs don’t attack?? Any suggestions gratefully received 

[rowlandwells]

I can see where your coming from HH I'm of the same opinion its not practical for me to go down our allotments every night with a torch and bucket to pick up slugs there's got to be a better way than doing that I'm sure

since starting this topic I've looked at [Nemasys] nemaslug slug killer its seems worth trying for around £13.00 quid a packet that does 50 sq .yards the only downside as I see it is they recommend to use the whole packet but its still worth thinking about if its going to save your brassicas crops but as you knw not all the brassicas crops are set at the same time ?

I would be interested to find out what the commercial grower uses to combat slugs I guess it something that's banned for the home gardeners use   

so following on from my original topic if anyone knows of a good slug deterrent all be it pellets or any others
It would be most welcome and should I come across any slug deterrent that think mite be of interest to our fellow gardeners I of cause will pass it on to our members thank you RW

[JayG]

Hard to prove whether the ferric phosphate slug bait is effective because it's not actually a poison, so you don't see lots of dead molluscs in the immediate vicinity of where you baited as you do with metaldehyde.

The ferric phosphate disrupts the mollusc's digestion, resulting in them stopping eating and therefore dying in 3-6 days, so there is rarely any visible evidence that it has worked.

It's not a very pleasant prospect TBH, and I don't like killing anything if I can help it, but it's either them or my (usually young) crops, and there's an awful lot of them where I am! 
I'm pretty confident that they are actually harmless to other wildlife - ferric and phosphate ions occur naturally in the soil anyway, although I'd be wary if I owned the sort of dog which enjoyed scoffing green or blue pellets in large quantities...

I do believe they 'work', but because the action is much slower, I tend to scatter them further away from the crops I'm trying to protect in the hope of reducing the population rather than trying to 'zap' them in the act (using in known hiding places can be a good ploy, in my case at the bottom of the privet hedges surrounding my garden.)

[jambop]

My wife has been hand picking slugs and snails this year and usually 150 or so per day! We use the ferric phosphate which is nowhere near as effective as metaldehyde but it does work but the critters slither off to die rather than the almost instant effect of the met ald . Of course the thing about the met ald is they love the stuff so will seek it out whereas the ferric phos is less appealing to them. We do get some huge slugs though enormous big ginger ones. Just a tip but we find that a decently thick piece of wood plank  is a great trap but we use rounds of tree trunk cut 50mm thick laid on the ground in the patch they crawl under to spend the long hot day... until the misses arrives with her jar of salt water  Some say use a tile but they get very hot here so wood we find better as it stays cool and slugs like that.

[I Love Spuds]

I would be interested to find out what the commercial grower uses to combat slugs I guess it something that's banned for the home gardeners use   

The commercial growers I read about in Farmers Weekly, are all going over to ferric phosphate, as they are being weaned off metaldehyde also. (Production) EDIT: "Sale" of metaldehyde will cease 31/3/22 for the UK, but some farmers have stocks to use up.

One article mentioned they have to up the quantity used a fair bit to get the same crop protection, but others say timing is more important. This is large scale application though, Kg's per Hectare. I'm not suggesting we measure the stuff out!

One other interesting thing is that the pherric phosphate stops slugs eating straight away. I guess they get an upset stomach before croaking it! ( Or "disrupts the mollusc's digestion" as JayG says.  )

Edit:
Mod's - can I put up a link to FW articles? Is that allowed?

[mumofstig]

I Love Spuds: Mod's - can I put up a link to FW articles? Is that allowed?

Yes, you can

[I Love Spuds]

Great, thanks Mum (& JayG for message).
This article is good and mentions Nemo Slug at the bottom as well:
https://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/somerset-farmer-tackles-slug-problem-head-on

PS - It's a bit old from 2014, but still relevant.
Mike.

[Hampshire Hog]

FYI I have used Nematodes but don’t think they are as simple to use as pellets.
Main thing is one needs to ensure that one follows the rules on soil temperature, timing etc.
I think they do have an effect but it’s tougher to assess as I wondered how much damage would I have sustained without them. Met pellets results are more clear cut. 

[rowlandwells]

I think you've restored my faith in ferric phosphate slug pellets JayG because I've now got a bit more
 understanding of how ferric phosphate works to control slugs and I  note your method of spreading the pellets away from the crop that is probably a better way of controlling slugs

 I take your point about killing slugs but as said its all about crop protection at the end of the day and I think there are plenty of slugs round our allotments for the rest of the wild life 

so I think I've been convinced to go with ferric phosphate pellets next season thank you for your in-depth reply  that also goes for the rest of you that replied as well.so  got the slugs sorted just need to sort out the caterpillars on the brassicas now

once again many thanks RW

[Potty Plotty Lotty]

I'm another supporter of used ferric phosphate. I've used them for a number of years and found them pretty effective.

I spread them over a wide area, not just around sensitive plants and reapply fairly regularly. I figure if the pests get attracted to the pellets away from my plants they are less likely to find their way to them!