Slug pellets?

[Dorothyrouse]

Need to buy some kind of slug pellets for use at allotment, something that is pet and child friendly, looking at these wool based pellets, but you seem to need to use a lot and they only last a couple of weeks?

or nematodes?

What are people using please?

[burnie]

I stopped using slug pellets are very long time ago and I can't say I have noticed any difference, at one plot in the midlands I resorted to beer traps and they did work well and were not expensive, I just used cheap beer in them.

[Mr Bones]

We used nematodes last year, they're expensive for a large plot but they work. Hoping the slug population was knocked back enough so they won't be such a problem this year.

[MelanieSW]

For the past few years I'ved use nematodes. They work better on slugs than on snails, and are not effective in pots (those dry out too quickly) but overall are good. There is a noticeable reduction - unlike my neighbours I never have any issue with my strawberry harvest being slugged. I'll get them again this year.

[Babru]

I try to protect a few plants such as hostas and lupins by putting copper tape round the pot. This year I've invested in some copper mesh which I've put round the pots too. I read on the hosta society website that they recommend making up a garlic spray. Needs reapplied after rain of course.

Well, if anyone should know about slug and snail protection, it's the hosta society, so I've made my spray up and am giving it a go. Over the season I'll be spraying anything that I think is vulnerable.

I also do regular slug and snail hunts, and take plants out of pots to check for eggs.

The only place I ever use pellets is in the greenhouse, and not many there. It's away from birds etc, and I think a protected environment like that is slug and snail paradise - but they're not getting my tomatoes!

[peanut]

I used Doff Slug & Snail Killer for the first time last year, it is approved for organic gardening, uses hydrated ferric phosphate and it worked really well.

[Muddy_Boots]

The only time I use slug pellets is when planting my seed potatoes, shock horror I can guess in your faces but let me explain. When planting your seed potatoes the last thing you want is the slugs hatching in the soil and chomping on your spuds when you plant them or afterwards when the potatoes are forming. When I plant my seed potatoes I always dig a hole with trowel, place seed potato in the hole and continue going until all are in the ground. Then place a palm size amount of slug pellets in the hole before covering up the potatoes plus pellets. They will kill any slugs that try to go chomp on your seed potato whilst its starting to grow, dissolve into the soil around the plant and continue killing any slugs whilst your crop is developing plus the birds and animals like hedgehogs won't be able to eat them or the dying slugs as all those are under the soil surface. The rewards later are obvious as any slug damage to your potato crop is usually hard to find evidence of.