[Gleavo]

Lots of lovely earthworms in the compost dalek. Don't mind them obv but for the fist time I have slugs too. Is this a problem? Only on the top as far as I can see.

[mattwragg94]

i also have a few slugs in my compost bin - the only harm i can see them creating is laying eggs in the soil - but i cant say ive had any problems with them - infact they may help it - by speeding up the process.

[compostqueen]

You'll get all sorts in there as it's a living, breathing life force so don't expect it to be a sterile environment. If it was it would be dead and absolutely no use whatsoever    If you see a slug in it you could remove it to a place of safety    I get those big tiger ones in mine sometimes and I baulk a bit when I have to wheedle one of those out    My bins at home are teeming with those red worms which are an indicator all is well so I don't worry too much at the odd slug

[JayG]

It's almost inevitable that you will get just about all the garden beasties that like decaying vegetable matter and damp conditions in a dalek.

It's obviously not ideal to find you have provided a breeding ground for slugs but as Matt says they help with the breakdown process and some of the other "guests" will actually eat them.

I've never seen slugs in "finished" compost - I suspect they've moved on by that point (where to of course is anyone's guess but that's all part of the fun of gardening!) 

[compostqueen]

The finished compost is dry so there's nothing for them there and they move on 

Hopefully finished compost is going to be available to us all soon.  Happy days 

[mattwragg94]

The finished compost is dry so there's nothing for them there and they move on 

Hopefully finished compost is going to be available to us all soon.  Happy days 

ive already emptied and sieved mine - id say i got 200 litres out of it (330 bin)

[Gleavo]

Well the eggs and breeding were my main concern. My compost is usually top notch & didn't want to risk it. Will just fish them out when I see them and start sieving. Not had to sieve before though.

Thanks for all comments/help

Gx

[compostqueen]

I have broken my rotary sieve so I need to get it fixed before the compost sifting season is upon me 

[jjbull]

not hijacking this thread but arent the tiger looking slugs cannabilistic or is that leopard print looking ones or am i just very tired and confuse lol

[viettaclark]

They're all cannibals.
When I go slug hunting I leave the snipped bodies because the others come to feast and it's easier to kill them in a crowd.
(Crowd of slugs.....? Hmmm....more like "slime" for a collective noun!!!)

[Swing Swang]

It's obviously not ideal to find you have provided a breeding ground for slugs but as Matt says they help with the breakdown process and some of the other "guests" will actually eat them.

That's a reference to rats methinks

[JayG]

It's obviously not ideal to find you have provided a breeding ground for slugs but as Matt says they help with the breakdown process and some of the other "guests" will actually eat them.

That's a reference to rats methinks

Luckily not in my daleks!

It was ground beetles I was thinking of, which I have definitely spotted in them and are apparently a good predator of slugs, although admittedly I've never had the pleasure of seeing one tucking in to its dinner!

Like most of the other inhabitants they seem to prefer the compost at particular stages of its development - by the time the compost is ready there are usually only a few centipedes left (haplophilus subterraneus, I think.)