We are now officially at DefCon One

[Samurailord]

War has now officially been declared between me and the slugs and snails in the garden.

It started off small, as these things tend to do.

There were losses on both sides, but more of a skirmish than a war at that point. A few leaves here and there in exchange for a couple of hundred enforced salty swimming lessons.

Then one morning everything changed.

Two whole brassica seedlings were completely stripped overnight, along with major damage to an aubergine and a pepper. The aubergine is going to be OK, but it is still touch and go for the pepper.

In response to this unprovoked escalation I have been forced to bring out the biological weaponry in the form of Nemaslug, and tonight I spent a happy hour dosing every inch of the front garden I could get to, and also around the blow-away in the back.

Only time will tell if this all-out retributive strike will be successful, but just in case I have placed all surviving brassicas into their own personal fall-out shelters made from 2L pop bottles.


If you don't hear from me again it means that I will have seriously underestimated the slug and snails' defensive capability!

Wish me luck!

Andy

[Vince G]

Ha ha, if I spy a mushroom cloud on the northwesterly horizion I'll know you've opted for M.A.D. !!

Slugs and snails are definitely the most fatherless creatures in the garden. Luckily don't get many at the lottie so can plant as many brassicas as I like. But the buggers are rife on the home plot. Picked a few strawbs today and thought there was a funny brown lump on one, but on closer examination, it was a small slug that was nearly up to its asre in my strawb.......went straight for the Saxa and watched him fizz!!!

I've considered nematodes before, but never used them... Do they harm any other wildlife or crops....other than affecting the availability of food for the (at least) 3 frogs in our tiny suburban garden ?

[Samurailord]

Hi Vince

It's more likely to be a broccoli cloud than a mushroom one!

No - according to the packet the nematodes seek out slugs and snails only - they will even have a go at water snails so you have to keep well clear of ponds if you want to keep your water snails intact.

The nematodes are completely harmless to anything else, so a good choice for me with four cats who will try to eat anything that is not nailed down, so nice blue pellets were a non-starter for me.

They are bloody awkward to apply though - you mix the inert dry powder with water in the watering can and water as normal - apart from the fact that the bloody powder kept blocking the holes in the fine rose on my can - had to keep shaking it about to clear it - got more on me than on the ground in some parts of the garden! To be fair, it does say to use a coarse rose, but I don't have one.

You have to keep the ground moist for them to work, and hope it doesnt get too cold as that will make them go dormant until it warms up again

Andy

[donnakebab]

Well you won't have any trouble keeping them moist!

[Florence Fennel]

I wish you luck Andy. The snugs in my garden are crushed, crunched, cut in half, lobbed or squashed, but only it seems after they've had a feeding frenzy. Found a few in the stayput yesterday - the air was blue.

[Samurailord]

Hi Florence

I have now gone past the crushing and crunching stage - they are multiplying faster than I can find them and kill them so I need to do something otherwise everything I have started this year will be eaten.

I haven't been out to inspect any damage from last night as yet - I will report back tonight as to how it looks.

Andy

[Alan Glass]

Try Coffee Grounds

The Insomnia coffee chain in Ireland are offering recycled coffee grounds. I also get the remains from our works canteen and other allotment buddies get theirs from garages and snack bars.

The old 'grounds' deter slugs and snails, apart from being hard to traverse and I also think the smell helps in hindering the cabbage whites as well. As a plus factor it also puts nitrogen back into the soil. No slugs, no snails and no caterpillars.

[Newton]

But we got no coffee!

[Jimmy]

The old beer in a jam jar trick disposes of loads of them !
Jimmy

[Jimmy]

Although it's reported that even they won't touch John Smiths.

[Florence Fennel]

Although it's reported that even they won't touch John Smiths.

#

Himself's no slug then Jimmy, that's all he drinks (smooth) and he certainly wouldn't let me bait traps with it!

[Bren In Pots]

Wish me luck!

Andy

Andy I do feel your pain 'they've' been at my Kale and cabbage plants so I've resorted to using Advanced Slug Killer pellets under the netting.

[lottie dolly]

Seems like it's the year of the slugs and snails revenge,is amazing how much a little thing,but big to us,can eat so much compared to their size,wonders if they contribute to the greenhouse gas,as well as cattle,

[redser]

Found an SAS slug in the tunnel a couple of weeks ago. He was absailing down a line of slime about 4 foot long from the tunnel roof and hanging in mid air! Could hear his mates shouting abort abort but he wasn't fast enough.

[OverWyreGrower]

We've had so many slugs and snails, even the chickens are turning their noses up at them.... I've blue-pelletted the polytunnel (and baited with rat poison, but that's another story) in the hope that it works!

I'm quite interested in the nemaslug thing though....