how do I get rid of slugs without killing them?

[Jigje]

I am recovering from my first full year of alotment holding going horribly wrong and I dont want to give it up. one of the biggest disappointments was the crops I put in that are supposed to be unnatractive to slugs, runner beans and various squashes. They still got eaten. I am trying to avoid killing due to my flaky personal morals, has anyone heard about how effective the various non killing methods are? or tried them? I know someone tested copper rings against grit and copper worked well, but comparitively very expensive for a whole allotment.

The other prob was thinking laying cardboard with manure on top was a magic mulch that could suppress anything, meaning I could not go up there for 2 months for various personal reasons and believed I would come back to the odd weed. HA! Anyway, the slugs, any advice

[denise]

Hi Jigje
Nothing I have hear of to get rid of the ....... things. Only read of all sorts of traps - but i find the best way is to chop them with the secuters - hope no one is eating while reading this. After a while of thinking of the destruction the have done and the £'s worth of plants they have eaten, it is the only way. Sorry Jigje - I do put copper bands on containers, around the legs on the stagging in green house - the the little darlings go up the glass on to the benches GRRRRRRRRRRR
I am really peace loving and kind - but when it comes to slugs and snails then the killer in me is awakened.

[Birdie Wife]

If you really want to release the slimy little darlings, the best way of collecting is to go out in the dark with a torch, gather them up and take them far away from your house (though personally I chuck salt on them at this point) - and I mean at least a couple of miles, slugs can travel surprisingly far in a night. You'll have to go out every night for a couple of weeks to have a significant impact. Make sure if you do this, there aren't any other houses around where you drop them or you are just trasferring the problem! Barrier methods will also work, but as you say expensive for a whole plot. Or you could take on some chickens or ducks, both of which will happily forage away and you get free eggs to boot. Another suggestion is to encorage toads or hedgehogs into your garden, they'll have a good impact but probably won't eat the lot.

Good luck...

[Earthbabe]

I've noticed that they didn't touch the plants on top of the old rabbit hutch, although they did go inside and were found having climbed up the supports of the growhouse. Secret - possibly the roofing felt on the hutch, you know the gritty stuff that goes on shed roofs. You could cut strips out and lay them around like border it's not hugely expensive.

[denise]

Good spot Earth babe - maybe that on the bed boards - what does everyone think? wasn't going to put bords artound has it a place fro them to hide from me - but- if i put this on outsides?

[denise]

I cant do salt - dont like all the gunk I know you get it whatever but my way is quick

[NOG]

I built a berlin style wal that worked.

£Land were doing rolls of plastic corrigated lawn edging. I dug a bed and ran a wall of the edging half buried with 3" above the soil. Ran it all round and back to the start.

Seems that the slugs couldn't be assed to clime the wall.

[Jigje]

Thanks for the suggestions, I think I may try a couple of them together, the roof felt and corugated wall, I would have not minded if it had been lettuce and cabbage that they went for, but blinkin pumpkin leaves, sigh,,,

[nick the grief]

If you've just reclaimed a disused plot it will be bad Jigje. But it will get better the more you cultivate the plot honest. What you have to remember is that Allotments are a great haven for wildlife both good & bad so try not to get down hearted. Beer traps work as do the plastic containers that chinese take aways come in. cut a hole in the side & put some slug pellets in this & inspect them regularly.

[NOG]

I find Robbins love them, I have one that sits on the compost bin and we take turns I turn the ground over and when I have a blow he goes in for the worms. If I fined any slugs I throw them on the compost and if they are not too big he has them.

[jools]

Can't put salt on them. My dad did this to a particularly big one and he reckoned it let out a sort of "scream"! Can't not kill them either - they ravage everything. I confess the only horrid thing I use on my garden are slug pellets (pet and wildlife friendly - it says on the pack) but I'm not that happy about using them so I'm going to have a go at beer traps.
Jools

[Alice]

Hello Jigje, you have to use a combination of every method you know, including hand picking and taking them away. I wouldn't put them on the compost heap, it will just end up full of slug eggs. Personally I use every method and a few pellets when I have to. I put the pellets in a container of some kind and dispose of the dead slugs where other animals can't get them.

I know it's a shame, but if it's that or let them eat the lot - well - no contest.

[Digger-07]

I collect them when I can and put them in the compost bin. They seem to like it there and although I have not tagged any I did do a bit of a trial and only used one of three bins for them. There always seem to be more slugs in that bin even days after my last additions.

(Must try to get out more!)

[Snadger]

I've noticed that they didn't touch the plants on top of the old rabbit hutch, although they did go inside and were found having climbed up the supports of the growhouse. Secret - possibly the roofing felt on the hutch, you know the gritty stuff that goes on shed roofs. You could cut strips out and lay them around like border it's not hugely expensive.

I have found loads of slugs on the underside of roofing felt!

If you were to lie it flat, it would make an ideal hidey hole for them. If you were to use it on edge (which I think is what you mean) the 'keel' slugs which live in the ground would be fenced IN!
If like me, you believe it is the courseness of the felt that deters them, how about using a mulch of course sand/grit?
Adding grit (it would have to be the sharp angular kind)to the surface layer should deter them and could be turned in to the top spit to assist with drainage as well! It would act as a mulch and be quite decorative!

I've just talked myself into the idea....now where can I buy the grit?

PS Sand topdressing of lawns helps to control surface casting worms as they don't like the courseness on there bodies! So why not grit for slugs?

[Earthbabe]

Would we be talking about sharp sand or something "grittier". I'm sure there's an opening there for a joke of some description.