Will alcoholic slugs harm wildlife?

[Jenegade]

I've been catching a fair amount of slugs in my beer traps over the last couple of weeks and have been throwing the dead slugs into the weedy areas of the garden to be eaten by wildlife.

Just occured to me that I don't know what effect the beer covered (and probably filled!) slugs will have on the wildlife that eats them (something is definitely eating them, they're gone by the next day)! Any ideas?

[basketcase]

I've been catching a fair amount of slugs in my beer traps over the last couple of weeks and have been throwing the dead slugs into the weedy areas of the garden to be eaten by wildlife.

Just occured to me that I don't know what effect the beer covered (and probably filled!) slugs will have on the wildlife that eats them (something is definitely eating them, they're gone by the next day)! Any ideas?

Not sure. But if it's anything like the 23 year old budgie (I kid you not!) that my mother dosed with about 3 drops of brandy because "he wasn't looking well"...

Once the birds can grip the perch again they'll tuck their heads under their bedraggled wings for a day, wince at loud noises and live another 3 or 4 years!

[Two_Sheds]

(most) garden birds won't eat dead things, but slugs will eat other (dead) slugs. Even salted ones (stoopid)

[FB.]

I think that it will be OK. Most animals seem to have a good sense of what's safe for them to eat.
Fermemtation is a natural process and I've seen birds eating very brownish-looking (rotting/fermented) crab apples in early spring when I lived at my previous house.

[Jenegade]

Thats ok then! Thanks for the replies! Do you think that hedghogs would eat them? Or frogs and toads? I hope so, I don't want to waste their favourite dinners!

[Nicos]

You don't really want hedgehogs eating them - cos they carry a parasite which makes the hedgehog eventually die

Don't think you'll be able to stop them somehow if they find any!!!

[Jenegade]

Really?! I thought hedgehogs are meant to eat slugs! Oh well, you learn something new everyday! Haven't seen any in my garden yet anyway, although when I come back from night work I'm usually to tired to go and look!

Found this link about slugs and hedgehogs http://www.thehedgehog.co.uk/diet.htm , thanks Nicos for letting me know that hedghogs shouldn't be eating many slugs!