Slugs v lettuce

[Bill HH]

I have a great crop of Iceberg lettuce which is really hearting up now. I pulled one tonight and its riddled with tiny black slugs about 1 cm long! Slugs usualy damage the outside but you can peel the outer leaves off but these critters are all over.I have stopped the snails and bigger slugs with a few pellets but these little ones dont ever seem to go down onto the soil . Any sugestions? This year has been the worst I can remember for slugs.

[Noosner]

Oh how annoying Bill! At least you looked at the lettuce first and noticed the slugs rather than eating it straight away The only thing I can suggest is to grow lettuce your slugs don't like. Our slugs here love Iceberg and Webbs Wonder. But they don't like Lollo Rosso, Little Gem or mixed salad leaves.

[Bill HH]

Oh how annoying Bill! At least you looked at the lettuce first and noticed the slugs rather than eating it straight away The only thing I can suggest is to grow lettuce your slugs don't like. Our slugs here love Iceberg and Webbs Wonder. But they don't like Lollo Rosso, Little Gem or mixed salad leaves.

Yes thats quite true, I have some little gem next to the iceberg and they are untouched! Thing is I dont like them either lol.

[Jungle Jane]

A few beer traps might attract the slugs away from the lettuces?

[astraman1]

what about them slug nematode things

[PyreneesPlot]

I find the slugs get into the middle of lettuces and cabbages when the weather is hot (or cold) which is a right pain as you can't see them to collect them at night.

[Penellype]

The nematodes are good, but they don't get rid of all the slugs, they just make a big dent in the population. They live in the soil, so if the slugs are not visiting the soil they won't be affected by the nematodes.

I've pretty much given up growing lettuces outdoors in the summer. If they don't get eaten by slugs they get caterpillars or aphids or both. I now grow cut and come again types on self watering trays on my spare bedroom windowsill. They tend to get a bit pale and leggy but the young leaves are perfectly nice and much better than battling with the wildlife.

[fishpond]

Chickens, although they may eat your lettuces as well, but funnily enough, not Little Gem?

[Nicos]

Some of mine have those little slugs in too
Not sure of the variety- but they are sold as mildly frost resistant so they can be planted out earlier. ( last frost = 5 weeks ago)
They're just starting to bolt in the heat.

The butter head ones further away seem fine as far as slug invasion goes- but they're the ones which were collapsing in the heat

( you'd have thought the slugs would have gone for the softer variety???...perhaps these were nearer to where the slugs hatched out? )

[Bill HH]

The nematodes are good, but they don't get rid of all the slugs, they just make a big dent in the population. They live in the soil, so if the slugs are not visiting the soil they won't be affected by the nematodes.

I've pretty much given up growing lettuces outdoors in the summer. If they don't get eaten by slugs they get caterpillars or aphids or both. I now grow cut and come again types on self watering trays on my spare bedroom windowsill. They tend to get a bit pale and leggy but the young leaves are perfectly nice and much better than battling with the wildlife.

Compare to a crisp crunchy iceberg lettuce the cut and come again stuff is pants in my humble biased opinion. I will just have to go back to buying the shop ones, chemicals and all.

[Shadylane]

The slugs have been horrendous this year. Dunno why as we had quite a dry spring. I've tried beer traps but they only seem to catch a few. Picked up a few ideas from here: Ugh...Slugs

Have no idea if they'll work. I intend to try seaweed feed/lime (supposedly they like acidic soil), ground eggshells(although many say these are useless), strong smelling herbs scattered around (rosemary, mint, lemon balm), epsom salts and bran.