Slugs & Snails, organic advice needed!

[Hans Mum]

if you have to resort to the blue pellets, put them in small jars (spice sized ones) and lay them under your veggies, the slugs will crawl (slither?) in and meet their end, but they arent eaten by other wildlife or birds

[HeyWayne]

I'm hoping my zinc coated new bed edges might deter them a bit, but not everyone has access to the scrap metal I do...

Of course, I could always tape some copper to the tops, but with the recent copper thefts, it might be wise to find a metal-free alternative.

Coffee grinds as Sue said are supposed to be very good. The caffeine in the grinds dehydrates the slugs/snails' "foot", but they don't realise until they are halfway across, and turn back, but which time it's too late. Mwwaaahhhhahahhahaha!

They apparently prefer new tender growth, and are not big fans of well rotted material so surely a good mulch of rotted matter must be a good idea around/in any bed?

[Flummery]

Getting your plants to a decent stage of growth before planting out can mean that they are strong enough to withstand nibbling. However, not having a strong enough stomach to cut things in half with scissors, I have often collected them up and 'taken them for a walk' - there's a narrow belt of woodland opposite our house and a field at the other side. I don't think they could find their way back from there!

[jeannine]

Sue, can you please tell me some more about your slug prison? Is that a bit like Bob Flowerdew's 'snail island' that he made in the middle of a pond? I'd love to make one.

Also, I used to get a fox in the garden quite a lot at dusk and I saw him snuffling around eating slugs a couple of times, (this is the fox, not Bob Flowerdew!!!) but I haven't seen him for years (lucky really as we've got chooks now).

Has anyone else had help with their slugs from unexpected allies?

[pigletwillie]

By far the best thing I have done to tackle slugs and snails on my plots is to dig a small pond (3' x 2' x 2' deep). It is covered by stout mesh to prevent accidents but of a size to allow ingress and egress of toads and frogs.

Forget slug traps, employ slug eaters. Its great to see a big toad at home in the greenhouse daring any slugs, snails or beetles to come in.The plot with it is now so slug free that I am digging another on one of my other plots.

[HeyWayne]

By far the best thing I have done to tackle slugs and snails on my plots is to dig a small pond (3' x 2' x 2' deep). It is covered by stout mesh to prevent accidents but of a size to allow ingress and egress of toads and frogs.

Forget slug traps, employ slug eaters. Its great to see a big toad at home in the greenhouse daring any slugs, snails or beetles to come in.The plot with it is now so slug free that I am digging another on one of my other plots.

Thanks piglet, you've convinced me that the pond is the way to go. I'm planning digging one before the spring (there's an aquatic place next to the allotments), and Mum has kindly agreed to let me have some frog spawn from her pond at home. Another job added to the list.

[pigletwillie]

You wont regret it. In the autumn I rescue baby toads from our primary crusher basement at work. The only other fate for them is to go out via a rather large pump.

These baby toads (about 800 in 2006 and over a 1000 last year) are now happily colonised on the plots and have spread through most of the site. I make toad hotels out of bricks in the tunnels and greenhouses and pile logs up about the pond as shelter.

[HeyWayne]

I guess encouraging birds, frogs and toads into the plot is a pretty good pest control?

[seasprout]

Barriers.

Another trick you could try, i grow many edible crops in pots, I mix up salt and Vaseline and paint a wide band around the pots, the slugs are unwilling to cross it and you only usually need to re-apply 1-2 a year depending on the weather conditions.

[Flummery]

I have toads in the garden too. I know they eat the slugs but I have a horror of digging them up and chopping them accidentally. My 'tame' blackbird Wendy (she comes into the kitchen if the scraps aren't forthcoming!) loves slugs. I've thrown them to her and she eats them with relish. This is why I need to be careful about poison.

[Sue]

Jeannine
Yes my slug prison was taken from Bob Flowerdew's book. I have a large bin which i drilled holes at the bottom then sat it on bricks in a very large plant saucer filled with water so they can't escape. I put bits of brick and tile at the bottom and keep it filled up with weeds - then I lob the slugs in.
Sue

[Paul Wagland]

if you have to resort to the blue pellets, put them in small jars (spice sized ones) and lay them under your veggies, the slugs will crawl (slither?) in and meet their end, but they arent eaten by other wildlife or birds

The problem with this is that the slugs don't die straight away - they crawl out of the jar and snuff it in full view of hungry birds...

I think it's also worth boycotting slug pellets on the grounds that the manufacturers test them on animals.

[kentvegplot]

I use beer traps on the allotment, very effective. Also protect small plants with old squash bottles with the bottom cut out - that's the only way I had half-decent lettuce last year.

Also use grass cuttings which have started to dry out around the more susceptible seedlings - I don't think the slugs liked the very dry conditions they suddenly found themselves crossing.

But I think my main slug protection comes in the form of all the birds, particularly blackbirds, who come down for breakfast on a regular basis

[jeannine]

If anyone wants to buy frogs, newts or toads eggs this spring there's an amazing guy called Charles Snell who is a herpetologist who has a licence to breed and sell them. You can get his email and phone number by Googling his name and the amphibian of your choice!

We successfully reared a lot of great crested newts last year - I think they are far more beautiful to watch in a pond than fish, and the adults eat slugs.

This year I want to have toads in the pond at the allotment after reading pigletwillies' post!

[Rockhag]

I have a toad on my plot called Frank (I'm assuming he's a boy. If he's a she I'll change her name to Frankie) and he, along with the beer traps don't do a bad job.

I have some organic slug pellets too but I use them as a last resort.