[andyw]

What is general method to protect the veg that will be growing in my patch this year? 

[mattwragg94]

im afraid the most common method is slug pellets - they are not very eco-friendly as there have reports that they kill the wildlife that eat the poisened slugs - however ive found they are the only affective method.

having said that there are a few eco-friendly/animal safe pellets around that are affective - i used them last year - got them from the 99p store.

the other methods ive tried are grit and crushed egg shell - with no affect. ive also tried beer traps - a bit affective!

[Ice]

I use net with 7mm holes and blue slug pellets.  The net protects from cabbage whites and also prevents wildlife from eating the dead slugs.

[trampyjoe]

Darkness, torch and patience. 









*edited for stupidity*

[Kleftiwallah]

Darkness, torch and patients.

How do you get them into the garden past  Matron  ? ? ?    Cheers,    Tony.

[JayG]

I think that Ferric phosphate slug pellets work although it's not that easy to tell as they don't directly poison the slugs and snails like metaldehyde ones do, although I am personally convinced that they don't harm other wildlife.

The ferric phospate interferes with their digestion apparently, so they crawl off and die elsewhere - if you don't like the sound of that (I don't, actually, but I'm afaid it's one battle I can't afford to lose!) you could always use beer traps so they at least die happy!

For other pests it's the right sized netting for the pest in question (with blueberries it's blackbirds!)   

[andyw]

My other dilema is that we are planning on having chickens, these will be in their own fenced off area but am worried that they could get out and eat the pellets?

[trampyjoe]

Darkness, torch and patients.

How do you get them into the garden past  Matron  ? ? ?    Cheers,    Tony.

Saves you getting your hands all slimy if you get the patients to pick up the slugs 

Blooming spell cheque *mutter mutter mutter* 

[JayG]

My other dilema is that we are planning on having chickens, these will be in their own fenced off area but am worried that they could get out and eat the pellets?

The security of your chicken enclosure has to be your call, but if in doubt you can always go with Ice's "belt and braces" technique, although I think many of us are starting to get a bit alarmed about the increasing range of crops which potentially need netting these days. 

[GYO Girl]

My other dilema is that we are planning on having chickens, these will be in their own fenced off area but am worried that they could get out and eat the pellets?

And therein lies the answer to your question! Chickens love slugs and snails and willl keep them under control for you if left to free range.  Unfortunately they also love lettuce, cabbages, beans, sweetcorn... and will keep those under control for you too if you let them free range....

So just pick off the slugs and snails and chuck 'em over the fence to the chooks!

Be careful if using slug pellets, do make really really sure the chooks can't get to them.

[andyw]

I will be more than happy to throw the slugs and snails over to the chicks, never knew they ate them?

[simonwatson]

I've had plenty of success with beer traps, but pouring the beer in makes me sad.

[GYO Girl]

I will be more than happy to throw the slugs and snails over to the chicks, never knew they ate them?

Yes they love them, along with worms, woodlice, bugs and anything else that crawls!  Some chook keepers on here might say not to feed them slugs and snails as they can sometimes carry worms which the chickens then get.  However, they would pick them up anyway if they were free-range, so as long as the birds are regularly wormed it shoudn't be a problem.

[Auntiemogs]

Darkness, torch and patients.

How do you get them into the garden past  Matron  ? ? ?    Cheers,    Tony.

[Grubbypaws]

Up side down grapefruit halfs after you have eaten the flesh. The slugs happily gather underneath and can be bagged up and binned at your leisure. The garden gets to look a bit quirky but colorful!

Has anyone tried Nemaslug? Looks expensive but if it works as well as it claims it might be cost beneficial.