home made compost and baby slugs

Everything in the blues household gets composted and we end up with wonderful well rotted compost which I use to fill containers and now my new raised beds.

The problem is that the compost seems to act as a baby slug nursery! I know slugs are not getting into my containers as each is protected by copper slug rings but every morning I find a new population of tiny slugs gnawing away at my baby veg plants. I presume they came with the compost as eggs and are hatching.

I really dont want to use pellets; is there anything I can do to my compost before using it to kills the eggs or is this just what happens with organic gardening?

Hi Trillium,
I have no adult slugs only tiny babies making me think it is eggs hatching. The compost does get really hot but when its finished composting it stands ready for later use and I start a new batch. I am presuming mummy slug finds it after it has finished composting, crawls in an lays eggs.

Anything natural can be added, even wool or cotton socks to a compost pile. I still recall watching the late Geoff Hamilton adding wool socks to his pile 

Only way to get the pile hot is to carefully layer it and keep it slightly damp, then turn it thoroughly to introduce lots of air every 2nd month (or more often). You should see some steam coming off the pile which tells you its too hot to put your hand in. That'll cook anything 

You can get organic slug pellets now. I use them and they work a treat!

If youve got a lawn, then grass cuttings really heat the heap up, especially if the grass is damp/very green. Chicken poo is supposed to work well, but we only have one chicken 

I'm given pigeon poo for my compost heaps, keep them covered, keep them damp, turn regularly and they do get hot.

And yes, I've been warned about the dangers of pigeon poo, the diseases that pigeon keepers get and all that. All I can say is - use a nose mask and gloves when adding to the heap, turning the compost heaps and keep them damp if you get the stuff offered free.

Don't say you don't get the warnings. Ho hum - pigeon poo has its moments just as well as manure contaminated by weedkillers. But looking at the pigeon keepers around my plot who are healthy I'll take the same precautions as them and their offerings.