Need some encouragement - still slugs.

[davefromthechipie]

If its that bad just bite the bullet and get some nematodes for 9.99 They work and even if You dont carry on using them the slug numbers that year will be alot less
I was using the organic slug pellets ( they seem to work but not close to real slug pellets ) intill i got my hens They say its safe but im not sure if they eat great amounts of it . I find i have to keep plants inside g/h and coldframe intill they are big , then they can deal with slug damage

[SlugLobber]

Hi Dave,
I have Nemaslugged twice, hence my despair!

Have tried all bloody weekend to buy the organic slug pellets, but nowhere can I find them! Either the whole of the Dorking area has sold out, or they're an environmentally unfriendly lot round here!

Some good ideas, here. thanks. I did the sowing in pots thing and planting out 'large' and in excess. I think it's just the sheer numbers of the little sods. I may invest in the nets. They seem the most obvious solution. I have been clearing out kitchen cupboards this weekend (new kitchen imminent), so have poured stale cheerios and an out of date fruity bar over the plot and bird table. I have seen more birds around, so hopefully they'll stay for 'afters'! Not put out the beer, yet, but I'm onto it.

[areia]

slugs and snails ARGHHHHHHHHH my son yesterday decided on his rare moments decided to help me in my snail and slug hunt armed with a bucket of hot salty water we turned over every pot and brick and stone we can find, i have had to use the pellets unforntunatly as they were eating my sons gourds and pumpkins so now we have large clear cut bottles over the seedlings with pellets just inside (i try not use them due to the bunnies running round the garden) i noticed in my raised beds there seems to be hardly any which is weird as the raised bed sits on open ground, i have grapefruit for which has been eaten before i can get the blighters, tried sacrificial planting well they didnt even get a chance, give me rabbits round my garden any day over slugs, least i get really good exercise, would taste better than slugs too

[davefromthechipie]

Hi Dave,
I have Nemaslugged twice, hence my despair!

Have tried all bloody weekend to buy the organic slug pellets, but nowhere can I find them! Either the whole of the Dorking area has sold out, or they're an environmentally unfriendly lot round here!

Some good ideas, here. thanks. I did the sowing in pots thing and planting out 'large' and in excess. I think it's just the sheer numbers of the little sods. I may invest in the nets. They seem the most obvious solution. I have been clearing out kitchen cupboards this weekend (new kitchen imminent), so have poured stale cheerios and an out of date fruity bar over the plot and bird table. I have seen more birds around, so hopefully they'll stay for 'afters'! Not put out the beer, yet, but I'm onto it.

nemas will work but not so well on the big slugs , sounds like thats your problem . You could try wyvale Im sure you have some in surrey .I know they sell some If it was me id buy from there buy from there Slug Killer Pellets made by growing success .also some ( cant remember the name but they sell um ) Its garlic granules "slug stopper' i think its called . and put that around the base of your veg . You could try B&Q too . Goodluck SlugLobber Im sure your win in the end

[jools]

I don't have a slug problem so much as a snail problem. Yes, I know I shouldn't but I do use slug pellets and they definitely work. I think we have had so much rain recently it makes the problem worse - found two of the bloomin blighters making merry (if you know what I mean) in a puddle on my patio this morning. It was chucking it down but I still went out to "dispose" of them. Oooohhh no - couldn't cut them in half and couldn't put salt on them either (My dad put salt on a big slug and he swore it screamed!). I stick them in a bag in the dustbin. Yes I know that's even more cruel. My eldest son and his friend were using a microscope on the lawn at the weekend and were disecting snails - how gruesome is that?
Jools

[dandamegs]

Spotted some organic slug pellets in Wilkinsons the other day-any of them your way?

Also battling mother nature so I feel your pain

[greenasgrass]

slugs

Hi, I'm sure I've seen organic slug pellets in Tesco.

I've been picking off the slugs and snails and feeding them to our chickens, they love them!

[SlugLobber]

Wierd, I thought I replied to this yesterday, but maybe not! We don't have Wilkinsons in this area and I've tried two Tescos in the area. I ended up buying the horrible, nasty pellets, which have done the job, but I'm not happy about being so unfriendly to the other critters, Will continue to look out for the organic stuff, which I guess will reappear as demand lessens. I was talking to a friend the other night who is a landscape gardener and she too has had trouble finding the organic stuff in our area!

[daisybeegood]

Glad to hear I am not standing alone in my battle against the slimy ones!

So far I have found they only like nasty tasting cheap German beer! The definitely don't like Budweiser! I am going to try the coffee grounds around my lettuces, to date the only thing that has protected them is making mini cloches out of 2 litre plastic lemonade bottles, also growing my tomatoes & strawberries in hanging baskets is working - the little blighters haven't learned to fly (yet).

I have seen copper rings to put around plants, they seem a bit on the pricey side considering how many I would need, apparently the copper gives them some sort of 'shock'. I am going to try running some recycled copper piping around the edge of my raised bed.

They are appreciated by our 2 pet newts & the turtle so maybe if all else fails I will try a small shaded wildlife pond next year & try to get myself some frogspawn!

Good luck to you all!

[Maximillian]

i agree with marigold007. tried oat bran - they eat it, swell and die. but i also try to commandeer every window cill in the house for seedlings as don't have a shed. at least they have a bit of a fighting chance. i only use pellets in my garden at home not the allotment as at home i only grow flowers and herbs. good luck and let's hope for only enough rain to water but not for the slugs and snails to come out and party!

[Louclegg]

Try B&Q for the organic slug pellets - I use Growing Success Advanced Slug killer and it's not bad - supposed to work better in wet conditions. Also, have you tried using those green rings (sometimes advertised as hosta halos) to put around plants to stop slugs/snails. Not impenetrable, but most of my climbing beans survive if I plant them in the rings (used for last 3 years in allotment and garden).