Slugs: What is the best way to kill them?

[kitchengardner]

The other night I was quite successful in drowning the beggars in warm soapy water. Last night I used the same bucket of soapy water but because it was now cold soapy water they climbed out. Surely the water temperature should not have made a difference.

What do you put in your bucket to kill them? A friend of mine puts bleach in but I think thats a bit too cruel and the vapours would sting my eyes. How do you kill them?

I'm rather squeamish so prefer not to chop them in half with a spade, nor do I fancy skewering them kebab style.

Are there any really good methods of dispatching them?

I either throw them on the garage roof for the birds to eat or put them in a jar of cold water container 2 tbsp salt and a squirt of washing up liquid. This keeps killing them for days - once the jar is full I tip the slug remains into a bag and throw them into the bin before replacing the killing fluid

However if you use the new organic slug pellets (which are soil association approved as they contain ferric phosphate) you will not even see them as they crawl under the soil to die

Regards

Kitchen Gardener

[Two_Sheds]

The very large slugs tend to eat rotting things and dog poo, not your crops.

[Two_Sheds]

I either throw them on the garage roof for the birds to eat

What birds eat slugs? (apart from chickens)

[Couperman]

I electricute them! mahwahhahhaha with an electric fence around my raised beds

as a rough guide;

9v DC = Severely discourage
12v DC = Sizzle
18v DC = Sizzle/Kill
24v DC = Serious Overkill

AC requires electronics knowledge and as I don't have any of that I decided it was dangerous.

I didn't want to go any further than that in case it started to look like 'Michael Bentine's Potty Time', it was getting to be a bit of an obsession. I wouldn't use car batteries by the way, if you want to try it. They may explode when shorted out which is essentially what the slug is doing. AA tiny batteries work fine for me

You must remember never to eat any liquorice you find in the garden

[Two_Sheds]

You must remember never to eat any liquorice you find in the garden

yes, that's always a good rule
don't eat raisins either, if you keep bunnies

[JILLY JACKSON]

i chop them in half the big ones as they are too big for the chickens to eat.the slugs that seem to cause the most damage seem to be small black ones that the chickens root out and enjoy.i let them free range when i have only garlic and onions growing in the garden they dont do any damage to them .

[janeyo]

The chickens get the small ones but run squawking away from the whoppers. These I lob as far as I can and hope they don'y have a homing device. (I have to wear gloves though as can't bear the feel of them on my hands)
Just been given a beer trap for xmas so will give that a go this year.

janeyo

[hawthorns]

im trying nemaslug this year

[kitchengardner]

What birds eat slugs? (apart from chickens)

Depends on the size. Ducks, crows and sea gulls will eat most types; blackbirds, thrushes, and even wood pigeons will eat the small ones. Even if they don't get eaten they dry out and die anyway

Regards

Kitchen Gardener

[magz.mccarthy]

My mom always says to put cloves (cloves for lemons in hot whisky) into the soil around plants - slugs hate the smell and keep away! Oin a large allotment though that would be rather time-consuming.

Otherwise eggshells around the plants will cut them up and cause them to oooze and wither. Gross. Anything sharp really will kill them as they crawl over it and cut their delicate skin and begin the grim ooooozing.

[King Carrot]

I electricute them! mahwahhahhaha with an electric fence around my raised beds

as a rough guide;

9v DC = Severely discourage
12v DC = Sizzle
18v DC = Sizzle/Kill
24v DC = Serious Overkill

AC requires electronics knowledge and as I don't have any of that I decided it was dangerous.

I didn't want to go any further than that in case it started to look like 'Michael Bentine's Potty Time', it was getting to be a bit of an obsession. I wouldn't use car batteries by the way, if you want to try it. They may explode when shorted out which is essentially what the slug is doing. AA tiny batteries work fine for me

You must remember never to eat any liquorice you find in the garden

all very serious food for thought this - got any piccys/diagrams of what you use and how you wire it?

It would also be possible to limit the current when using a car battery so it didn't short, that would really fry the little sods

well done to the pioneer at the top using soapy water - really made my night - you must have the cleanest slugs around

cheers KC

[jemma_charlie]

I have to say this thread is hillarious, and probably the reason why next doors chickens keep flying over the fence into my garden!
I now have images of you all in ninga outfits with skewers and salty dipping water!

[spennysaint]

HI

I though this was an old wives tale ut tried it anyway. I put beer in youghurt pots sunken in the ground last year. The slugs seemed to go in and then ? drunk the beer and couldn't get out. I like to think they drank the beer and died happy slugs!!

Claire

[lynda66]

definitely cardboard over the ground, and a few chickens to eat em

[cwipnip]

SLAM EM BETWEEN 2 BRICKS!!!!

i prefer to use beer traps and putting my greenhouse pot plants on stands so its harder for the slugs to get too them