[scabs]

What's the general concensus? I'm sure that I read, maybe in John's book, that they didn't leave any dodgy residues...

I haven't used any chemicals this year but I'm not hell-bent on being organic (though, naturally, I'm not keen on using too much gunk on my plot)

The other issue is that I am between two pigeon lofts, one guy lets his young birds out a lot and I don't want them dropping dead after nibbling lovely blue treats...

That said, I don't relish the thought of having the best fed slug colony in Manchester.

[gillie]

Can you put the slug pellets underneath things - slates propped up at one end spring to mind - so that the pigeons can't get at them but the slugs can?

Cheers,

Gillie

[scabs]

Yes, that's not a bad idea, thanks.

[savbo]

I prefer the ferric ones, seem to work if not as well as metaldehyde...

[Salmo]

Slug pellets are coloured blue because blue is not attractive to birds and they are unlikely to eat them.

Birds see in colour whereas dogs and cats, and I suspect rats and mice, see in black and white. Not sure about slugs eyesight.

[lovemyveg]

I prefer the ferric ones, seem to work if not as well as metaldehyde...

I used the "safe" slug pellets and they did not work for me at all.  My bright lights chard was totally devoured by the little beasts.  I hate using slug pellets, but when I see the damage they do to my crops, I do resort to the blue slug pellets for my small tender plants and they do work. 

[mumofstig]

This year the slugs seem to have ignored the slug pellets and eaten the crops anyway
Perhaps they are fed up with the taste, or generations of watching their mates die has put them off
Anybody else noticed this?

[The Norfolk Turkey]

We used pellets this year (ferrous ones) and were equally concerned about the local fauna (our cats and kids - in that order...  ) pellets worked a charm, although we might try the wool based ones next year just to try and reduce the chemicals a little further still (one of our lads will eat anything.... ANYTHING!!  ).

[peterjf]

make a slug hotel

take 2 bicks , place a plank between the bricks like a bridge ,

every monmey take a sharp knife and cut the resting little *

in 1/2 , works great , you get some whoppers 

[Zippy]

Organic slug pellets if scattered thinly and at the correct dosage are just as effective as the "blue death" ones which take out natural predators such as birds, amphibians, hedghogs.

In my local shop they are cheaper too.