slug prevention...

[Eternal Sunshine]

We have to try something this year on the allotment as the slugs had a fine time eating our plants last year! The only thing that puts me off beer traps (apart from the waste of beer ) is getting rid of the sludgy remains. *Yuk*

I read somewhere, but can't remember where, that it doesn't have to be beer, any sugary liquid will do. Is this true?

[deezyb]

Hi I'm trying copper tape around the top of my raised beds this year to try and ward off the slugs from my lettuce. I was watching gardeners world this week and carol said vermiculite was good for keeping slugs off greenhouse seed trays, so i'm going to try it around the edge of my raised beds, see whether it works or not.

Hi - I did the copper tape last year around my raised beds, but still got slugs! Couldn't believe it - decided slugs had grown wings or large legs!!! However I hope you have more luck than me! Maybe two layers of tape will work! Not heard of the vermiculite solution, but will try that and the crushed egg shell!

[Tracey]

Instead of beer you can use some dried yeast in a jar of tepid water. Much cheaper. I put copper tape around my raised beds, but I've found lots of snails in there already. I think they may get there via my compost.

On Womans hour last Thursday, they had a section on slugs. It was very interesting, apparantly the local slug population regulates itself. It does this by the big slugs sending out a signal which reduces the breeding of the rest of the group. If you kill the big slug all the other slugs in the group breed to fill the void.

BBC - Radio 4 Woman's Hour - Listen Again: Thursday 20 March 2008

Tracey

[allotmentlady]

Crikey lol............best trap em with a pillow first then no other slugs will hear their secret codes lol.............

[KingEdward]

last year i transferred half a dozen frogs from my pond to my plot.seems to have worked for me.

[JO,JO]

has anybody got a hedgehog for sale lol,they love slugs and snails apparentley we had a hedge that used to come in my and the nighbours gardens i used to leave cat food out for it,but we havent had one now for a couple of years and then the slug problem accord,does anybody now how to encourage hedgehog activity?

[penny]

someone told me to use tinfoil instead and so far it seems to be working on the slugs. Hedgehogs seem to come and go on our garden but we get flooded sometimes.

[allotmentlady]

Contact these people, you could become a fosterer, or they could help you adopt one!

British Hedgehog Preservation Society BHPS

If you do dont forget about slug pellets as these little guys can die if they eat them!

[Eternal Sunshine]

last year i transferred half a dozen frogs from my pond to my plot.seems to have worked for me.

My OH wants to dig a pond on the plot so I think I'll encourage him & hope some frogs come to live there.

[Alice]

Interesting thread Daisy. There's been lots about slugs on here - why would there not be !!! In my last garden I had no real problem - but the much maligned fox came through everynight and lapped them up, and we had loads of birds. Maybe it is all about everything in balance, This will be my first year gardening here so don't know what the problems will be.In the end the blue crystals do work - and there are sensible ways to use them. If it's them or my food............

[hawthorns]

has anyone tried using bran as the slugs eat this and swell up and die. im trying ground up eggshells but something has started munching my lettuce seedlings a day after they went in. not impressed im at war slugs already

[Madasafish]

We have slugs and snails. In spring I turn over all stones and crush 100s of snails. The frogs eat loads - we have a pond.
After rain I go out in spring evenings with a small spade and disect them...with one blow.

In the greenhouse I have no choice but to use pellets as the snails climb : marigolds are very much loved:-( As are tomatoes (when red!)

Crushed eggshells work a little...

Basically it's a never ending war and as we have fields on 2 sides and a marsh in the field 50 metres away, one I cannot win . ALl I do is keep the numbers down.

The local fox and badger help : but use part of our garden as a (very smelly) toilet...

[deezyb]

why is it that I get snails in one part of my garden and not the other!? it's mostly a flower border, but I def do not get them in my raised veg beds as much? obviously I'd rather not have slugs or snails at all...but this has always mystified me!

[deezyb]

has anyone tried using bran as the slugs eat this and swell up and die. im trying ground up eggshells but something has started munching my lettuce seedlings a day after they went in. not impressed im at war slugs already

is this just normal bran hawthorns? might try this!

[hawthorns]

dont know what kind of bran i saw it on digging for victory on uktv gardens. i was asking to see if anyone has tried this as im getting brassed off with my young lettuces getting eaten and now they have moved on to my turnip seedlings. bloody slugs