Aaarrrggghhh MOLLUSCS.

[Shadylane]

I've just about had it. They've destroyed almost all the brassicas, nearly all of the squash, all the broad beans and now they've started on the sweetcorn. I made sure everything was well established - even more than normal and it's made no difference. I've always had some damage but to lose entire crops is just ......arrrggg.

So I've decided it's time for war. I don't use pellets but have decided to give bran a try. I'm also considering nemaslug. Bit expensive but the alternative is to lose everything so what can you do?

What I'd like to ask you lovely people is this: is it too late now and would I be better off waiting until next spring and cut my losses this season?

So fed up. Every year just seems to get harder and harder but this year has been utterly appalling in so many ways.

[Jungle Jane]

How about going out at 10/11pm with a torch to handpick them into a pot of salty water? To stop them eating any more? I plant my beans into plastic bottle halves with copper tape stuck around,tucked into the soil so they can't get at them,found the tip on here years ago.

[Containergardener]

That's when I'm out with torch

[Chippy Minton]

I'd say it's never too late. All impact now will protect anything you have left plus anything you replace it with for the winter/ spring.... Plus reduce the multiplication of said molluscs....

[Shadylane]

Thanks for the replies. It's not really practical to go up the plot at that time. The neighbouring houses would probably call the police

I've tried pop bottles but they just crawled up to the leaves that were growing out the top. All the stuff I plant out is way too big for pop bottles anyway. In the past I've found bigger plants fight them off but this year has been unbelievable.

I just don't wanna spend a lot of money if it's too late especially after reading some of the reviews. One said it didn't work and after complaining was told it could take 3 weeks. I reckon they'll have finished everything off by then.

[Containergardener]

Beer or yeast traps?

[Shadylane]

Yeah tried beer. There's just too many of em. I picked off absolutely loads from the brassica bed and it seems I've barely made a dent. I am gonna give yeast a try as it's cheaper than beer.

I'm basically gonna hit em with everything. Nematodes, beer, bran, yeast.... Might even do pellets in a bottle trap that someone shared on here the other day.

The population is out of control. I've been too nice to them for too long. Hate killing things but if I don't do summat I may as well jack it in.

[Penellype]

Nematodes are not a quick fix. The slugs get infected when they are in the soil and the infection eventually kills them. I use them in conjunction with other methods such as copper tape and picking off every slug I can find.

I do agree that this year has been appalling. My garden isn't too bad, but my friend's, which borders onto a field, is dreadful. They've annihilated the whole crop of celeriac and most of the lettuces, they've completely defoliated 3ft high runner beans and decapitated a courgette, several brassicas and 3 tomato plants. The plot was treated with nematodes at the start of May.

I'm going to replace the runner beans and plant them in rings of pop bottles with copper tape, which I have done successfully with courgettes and broccoli in the past. I'm also going to try planting some more celeriac (I have some seedlings still in the pot I sowed them in as I rather thought this might happen) and mulch it with Strulch - I have some left over from my own garden and it is supposed to repel slugs.

We shall see.

[Shadylane]

Thanks Penellype. That's worrying. Even after nematodes...all that damage. I've probably lost 10 squash plants, maybe 20 brassicas, 30 or so broad beans...It goes on. I just don't know if it's worth it this year. I don't have any spares and they're almost down to the stump so can't help thinking it would be a waste of money.

ETA regarding strulch. I've always been a big mulcher but recently I've found it just gives the swines somewhere to hide. Everything I've believed in gardening wise - organic principles, no bare soil, mulch, no dig etc seems to have added to the slug problem.

Next door which has loads of un mulched, bare, fine tilthy soil, often sprayed, often treated with slug pellets is completely untouched and thriving. Makes you wonder why you bother. ...

I don't dig muck in, leave it for the worms as I've learned is supposedly best, but the slugs just hide under the clumps. Our neighbours who both dig it in still have brassicas, un shredded sweetcorn, broad beans and squash unlike us. It's like everything I've learned over the last 8 years needs to be turned on its head. So frustrating.

[Bigmallly]

I've not tried it but just had a crazy thought...............yes, again.....................just wondered if a trail of salt around the plants would help & if so would the salt be detrimental to the soil.

[Ryez]

I'll just throw loads of pellets and bran daily, it's cheaper at this point. Specially as you lost so much.

[the big lebowski]

im in the same boat mate i have lost sqaush,pumpkins,runner beans,toms ,courgets and now they are eating the tops of my onions aswell im trying beer traps but only getting the small ones so far,i got 40-50 the 1st night and then about 15 a night after that but picked 50-75 of the big 5-7 cm ones of my onions in an hour the other night ,its crazy this year im hoping for a late heat wave to dry the place out ,cheers

[Bren In Pots]

Yeah tried beer. There's just too many of em. I picked off absolutely loads from the brassica bed and it seems I've barely made a dent. I am gonna give yeast a try as it's cheaper than beer.

Most large Supermarkets that have bread ovens give fresh Yeast away just ask at their counter.

[Penellype]

I've not tried it but just had a crazy thought...............yes, again.....................just wondered if a trail of salt around the plants would help & if so would the salt be detrimental to the soil.

Unfortunately the plants won't like the salt at all.

[Penellype]

I think it is years like this that make people seriously question what I like to call "clean" gardening (rather than "organic" which is a term I hate because I find it totally misleading). Yes, people who throw slug pellets around will have undamaged plants. They may also have dead hedgehogs, frogs, toads and birds.

We all have to decide for ourselves what the best solution is and this will vary from site to site, as is well illustrated by the difference between my garden and my friend's.

With regard to the apparent failure of the nematodes, I should add that a few days later there was a frost. This may have killed the nematodes, which are supposed to have a soil temperature of 5C or more. It is colder at my friend's than it is in my garden because I am in the village and she is in the country, and this could have made a difference.