[rawrecruit]

Here I am, asking about slugs again! I keep finding them sheltering in my compost, and when I do, I waste pellets by shaking a load on them. Should I keep a salt cellar on the allotment (does that really work on slugs?), or mix a few pellets with my compost? Its my first ever load of compost by the way and I am so impressed to see it looking composty, it was potato peelings and old tea-bags just a few weeks ago!

[Kleftiwallah]

I should leave them eating the vegetable matter in your compost bin.  It's what I does!

Cheers,   Tony.

[solway cropper]

I agree with Klefti, just leave them to get on with what they do. If you sprinkle slug pellets into the compost you'll be killing all sorts of beneficial beasties as well as the slugs. I do find it a bit disconcerting that people still feel that gardening is akin to warfare against the rest of creation. We might not like slugs but they do perform a valuable function and provide a good food source for many birds and amphibians.

[Ema]

I also have 100s of slugs in my bin but I'm sure when things get really hot it kills them off

[habanerohead]

I used to think that slugs were part of the composting, re-cycling process, but really if they lay their eggs in the compost, when you use it you're just spreading them all over the garden.
Anyway, I mostly "hot" compost, and slugs are not a problem because they get cooked.  I do get quite a lot in my wormery however, and when I find them I DESTROY them - apart from the Leopard Slug, which I really like because it's uncommon, nice looking, and it eats other slugs. As it's in the worm bin, it probably actually eats the worms rather than other slugs, but I've got loads of them anyway, and like I say, it does look rather cool.

Cheers.

[rawrecruit]

Hmmmm I was worried about them laying eggs too, but I love the idea of a slug eating mega slug!

[crh75]

I don't think you would like the idea of a

slug eating mega slug

after it has had its meat (slug) course it'll be wanting some greens (ie your yeg!).

[wil4025]

I use method of putting grit around all things I dont want slugs to get to and it works!

[Dai]

This ones a cannibal too! http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/giant-pink-cannibal-slug-discovered-australia.html It would be good if all slugs were bright colours i suppose.

[mjw]

I don't think the leopard slugs actually eat any others.  Time consuming but most effective to give them the snip and cut them in half!

[J_B]

i put beer in small plastic cups to get rid of the sluggs , i buy tesco valuse 4 cans for a quid

[icbradley]

I was told that a hot compost acts like a slug contraceptive.  The heat kills the eggs.  If the nemaslug doesn't get them I transfer slugs to the compost so they can do their stuff there.

[J_B]

thats an interesting explination did not knwo taht before


see u always can learn something new

[habanerohead]

I don't think the leopard slugs actually eat any others.  Time consuming but most effective to give them the snip and cut them in half!

Wiki sez:
Limax maximus is omnivorous. It is of benefit as a detrivore for it cleans up dead plants and fungi, and as a carnivore for it hunts down other slugs with its top speed of 6 in/min. However, it also eats young crops faster than they can grow and so is listed as a major agricultural pest by State Departments of Agriculture from Florida to Oregon.

Like I say, it's safe in the worm bin, so it probably thinks it's in Leopard slug heaven - dead plants, earthworms, the occasional slug, and a gardener who drops by to say hello every time he visits the allotment.

[rawrecruit]

Time consuming but most effective to give them the snip and cut them in half!

Euwwwww!