[Ali M]

Hi everyone, I'm new around here but have been lurking for quite a while!!
I've registered though because I'm panicking as we found beautiful slow worms in the compost bin! I've put slug pellets down around the courgettes as we're swamped by them because of all the rain, but I'm worried that the slugs will die from the pellets, then I'll kill the slow worms.
Anyone got any words of wisdom?? Thanks.

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site 

Do slow worms eat slugs? (Showing my ignorance here)

[Ali M]

Welcome to the site 

Do slow worms eat slugs? (Showing my ignorance here)

So I've been told!! Not that you'd think it looking at my plot!!
Thanks for the welcome...

[savbo]

it is possible to poison other wildlife with metaldehyde pellets (which is why I don't use them, favouring ferric phosphate ones), and slow worms do eat slugs. However, I think it's quite likely the slow worms are eating the slugs in and around the compost heap, so I wouldn't feel too bad about using pellets on your courgettes.

Perhaps you could make a low barrier around the courgettes if you want to feel really sure?

Wish I had slow worms!

sav

[Ali M]

Thanks sav,

Normally use egg shells, but I'd have very high cholesterol if I ate as many eggs as I'd need to keep these little bleeders off!!

Just hope the slow worms are ok. Would hate to kill them just as I'd found them...

[Robin Redbreast]

I WANT SLOWWORMS!!!!!!!!!

IS THAT WRONG??? :blink: :blink: :blink:

[sunshineband]

Slow worms eat small slugs -- they are their favourite 

My Mum and Dad used blue slug pellets for many many years and had a thriving slow worm population , that did not suffer at all.

Lovely animals. They do seem to love compost bins 

Hope you get babies

[Ali M]

Babies would be so cool! 
Thanks everyone for replying, might just have to leave the compost as an incubator, and hope for the best... I'm the only one in the house that eats courgettes... not even the nannies will touch them, so I'll bin the slug pellets!

[angelavdavis]

Thanks sav,

Normally use egg shells, but I'd have very high cholesterol if I ate as many eggs as I'd need to keep these little bleeders off!!

Just hope the slow worms are ok. Would hate to kill them just as I'd found them...

Eggs are actually no longer high cholesterol since hens are no longer fed bonemeal (since the CJD crisis).  They are only allowed to be fed to non-animal products.

That aside, I have slow worms on my plot (in the compost heap) and their population don't seem to have been affected by my going back to the evil variety pellets.

[Ali M]

Update! Slow worms are alive and wriggling...phew, so glad I didn't kill them!

[Madame Cholet]

I used copper wire around the cougettes that helped they seem ok now they are established

[Salmo]

Metaldehyde can stay in the soil a long time after the pellets, which are usually cereal based as a carrier, have washed away. They should be used very sparingly, if at all.

There is a lot said about hedgehogs, slowworms etc eating poisoned slugs. Is there any evidence that they do so. Would any self respecting slow worm or hedgehog eat dead, or half dead slugs.

[mobilekat]

I know that the birds in my garden- blackbirds etc will happily eat dead slugs and snails. :blink:
I go out into the garden most night with a head torch and a trowel to 'explain' to slugs and snails that I dont like them. The next day the blackbird are out there eating the bodies!

Since discovering this I have become even less keen to use slug pellets and just protect very venerable crops with a light sprinkling of the ferrous ones, and plant extra!

[ilan]

I never use slug pellets ever since we found a young fox dying from suspected slug bait posion The vet said it was quite common for the young foxes to eat the dead slugs as an easy meal so I would expect other young would do the same . so Now its out at night for 10 mins or so with a torch and a pair of sissors






s

[mobilekat]

I think its a west country thing- creep around at night and murder slugs and snails!

my OH gets very concerned why I come in with a tally, but it seems to be working as the numbers are definitely going down! (or I now have slugs and snails who get out of bed after midnight!)

And it is fun meeting frogs and toads out doing the same thing!