Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: WhippetMaster on March 16, 2008, 08:05

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: WhippetMaster on March 16, 2008, 08:05

The battle has begun. Planted broccoli out over the past two days and slugs have demolished two plants already. They have attacked a third by climbing in through a "half pop bottle cloche" crafty beggars, they must have one hell of a sense of smell.

Should I have left it longer?? Do I use slug pellets??? Any other counter measures I can take???

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: naturesparadise on March 16, 2008, 08:08

there are new slug pellets out now that dont hurt anything other than slugs and snails

here is the link im going to try them this year
http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=61_179&products_id=1821

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: richyrich7 on March 16, 2008, 09:24

I just use the normal one's  :evil:  you could put them in a plastic bottle laid on it's side with a few slug/snail size holes in if you wish, keeps them away from most animals and off the soil

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: shaun on March 16, 2008, 09:26

theres only one way to kill slugs n snails and its pellets.

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: ck2day on March 16, 2008, 09:32

Oooh what a mercenary lot you are, poor little slugs just off out for a midnight slide looking for a juicy cabbage leaf or tender brocolli plant to sustain them...........nuke the lot of them I say, they deserve every thing they get.  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Sinking a small dish into the ground and filling with beer (by the cheapest going, slugs aren't fussy, doesn't work with coke or lemonade though), is a sure fired way to kill a few! They are attracted to the smell, slide in and drown. What a good way to go!

My FIL nearly died when I told him I had done that with beer, think he was off to find the beer and beat the slugs to it!

 :D  :D  :D  :D

Claire

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: richyrich7 on March 16, 2008, 09:34

Ducks are good too...........but then they eat everything including the plants  :?

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: fletch on March 16, 2008, 11:45

I agree with Shaun, I've tried every single method going over the years and the only thing that works is pellets, and lots of them!

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: Stripey_cat on March 16, 2008, 13:04

Going out slug hunting with a bucket of scalding water is very satisfying.  When you drop them in, they kind of melt.  (It disturbs me a little just how fascinating I find this!)  Half an hour on a wet evening will make a real dent in the population.  It's not enough to completely solve the problem, but it helps.

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: WhippetMaster on March 16, 2008, 19:08

Just been out and mashed 29 of the little beggers hiding in and around my raised beds. Armed with salt and chopping knife :evil:

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: puravida on March 16, 2008, 19:11

I like to use a combination of kebab skewer, sharp knife and disused burger-flipper from the BBQ.

Some get kebabed, some get sliced in two, some get scooped and flipped over the wall (long way down the other side)

I find most of my pent up day to day aggression can be taken out this way.


Might start wearing a Rambo headband and playing some Wagner next time...

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: sharky on March 16, 2008, 19:21

how do pellets work?
Think i remember using then and finding slime everywhere like they had physically exploded?  :lol:  8)

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: Ruby Red on March 16, 2008, 21:08

If you have pots try mixing salt and vaseline together and rubbing on the pot half way up and round its circumference.

Title: slugs
Post by: weeeed on March 17, 2008, 12:49

Buy a big bag of bran and watch them gobble it up and then explode. All creatures may have been made by God but slugs are from the devil! :twisted:  :lol:

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: mashauk on March 17, 2008, 15:55

You could always recycle them, I wonder how many were used to make a pair of trousers, gross but true.

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: muddywellies on March 17, 2008, 16:08

B&Q are the cheapest place for those new organic slug pellets - 3 pounds something or other. Have stocked up with 3 tubs  :twisted:

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: ck2day on March 17, 2008, 16:10

Quote from: "mashauk"

You could always recycle them, I wonder how many were used to make a pair of trousers, gross but true.

Am i reading this right!!! Recycled slugs...... Yuck

Suppose it would make the trouser easy to slip on !!!!!!

 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: WhippetMaster on March 17, 2008, 16:26

Excellent, round one to me. Put organic pellets (B+Q) down last night and found 20 dead ones in one raised bed alone.

No new damage to plants either.

Have covered all beds as there is a big frost expected to start tonight going into the weekend.

Title: Slugs are out in force
Post by: mashauk on March 17, 2008, 16:35

Quote from: "ck2day"

Quote from: "mashauk"

You could always recycle them, I wonder how many were used to make a pair of trousers, gross but true.

Am i reading this right!!! Recycled slugs...... Yuck

Suppose it would make the trouser easy to slip on !!!!!!

 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Yep, I read in an old copy of Permaculture that they make great "leather" and that some guy had dried them out in the oven (ewww) and skinned them and made a pair of trousers out of them, which are apparently water proof.

Personally it makes my skin crawl thinking about it, having skidded on one that came up through my floorboards a few weeks ago, but it takes all sorts I suppose