Thieving Rat ruining Courgettes!

[lainey lou]

I'd been told that mint repels rodents, specifically mice.

Well, my mice ate a four-pack of Polos in the garage, so it's a myth

Oooh! Bad luck!! Think you're supposed to use spearmint (as opposed to peppermints!)plants, wondered if you could boil up the leaves and make some sort of spray? I've recently planted various type of mint around our chook pen in the hope of deterring rats- so far so good- but we'll see. As for the chilli, I think the idea is to sprinkle it on the vunerable plants, only trouble is you'd have to replace it after rain.

[Tinabalerina]

I use sharp sand around the bottom of each stem (sprinkled on the soil) in the fight against slugs/snails and fingers crossed its working ok so far although we seem to have very few as we have a resident frog

[smc999]

I too suspect snails / slugs as there would be much more defined tooth marks with rodents.I would reccomend little blue pellets but i've used loads this year and haven't hit a single slug yet

Might be better off putting the pellets on the soil than throwing them at passing snails and slugs as they aren't very aerodynamic.

[Mikey]

Get yourself a bag of sharp sand from your nearest builders merchants and place a good handful under each fruit, it should keep the slugs and snails at bay.

[Snadger]

Might be better off putting the pellets on the soil than throwing them at passing snails and slugs as they aren't very aerodynamic.

Thats why they call it a 'slug gun'!

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

I am starting to think it is raspy mouthed b******s doing the pilfering. Should have seen the size of the one that just popped under my boot.

Apologies to any squeemish grapes. I just can't bear to share with the slimy sods.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll be getting some sharp sand pronto.

[RobMac]

Here's another idea for you. Build an electric slug fence around your veg. Look this idea up on YouTube. Bob Kelland's vids are the best and he shows a circuit diagram. I did it about a month ago. It cost less than £10 and I've had no attacks in my raised beds. It runs on a 9v battery which will last all summer and autumn. No night time forrays required other than to see them try to get in.

[Tinabalerina]

I am starting to think it is raspy mouthed b******s doing the pilfering. Should have seen the size of the one that just popped under my boot.

Apologies to any squeemish grapes. I just can't bear to share with the slimy sods.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll be getting some sharp sand pronto.

Aarrgghh, that's disgusting just the word slug turns my stomach I couldn't bear to touch it even with boots on! my friend went into the garden only to find her daughter sucking on a slug .....off to throw up now!

[Mikey]

sucking on a slug!!, what on earth would want to make you put that in your mouth. I tried soil as a kid, but nothing wiggly...

[lainey lou]

surely as a child everyone tried worm? Caterpillar? Woodlouse? No? Just me then....

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

The electric fence looks great, but I am not in raised beds so unfortunately no use for the courgettes.

As for sucking on slugs and other garden minibeasts ewwwwwww.