success against slugs

[yorkshire sam]

last year on a thread about slugs I mentioned that I was going to trial the use of bran. At our allotments we have terrible trouble with slugs and snails and it is not uncommon for some folks not to plant spuds as these seem to get riddled by slugs. Having used it last season and again, this I can positively say that it appears to work. Last year my young brassicas were decimated by slugs until I started using bran. I used it last year to great effect and this year I applied bran around all my young plants very early in the season and few plants show signs of slug damage. It doesnt matter if it get wets it still seems to work as it does not get washed awayn although it does eventually disappear into the soil or perhaps the slugs eat it all. Whether the bran has acted as a barrier to kept the slugs off or it has killed them enmass I have no idea but were now in June with all my plants growing strong with hardly any damage. I bought a large bag in April last year from a seed supplier (where I get my chick feed from) and it cost me around £7. I have only just finished using this bag last week and I intend to get me another as it is far cheaper than slug pellets or other stuff and is far more effective. I can heartlily recommend its useage.

[maytreefrannie]

Did you put the bran around the plants - as in, make a ring of bran around each plant?

[rana]

Thanks for the update - I have just run out of pellets and because of your trials and reccommendation I will be trying bran next.

[terrier]

Well done, Sam, I think I'll have a go at that idea. I put my Courgette plants in the ground a few days ago and there's hardly a leaf left on them
A bag of bran from a feed merchant has got to be miles cheaper than the 'safe' brown slug pellets:
Here's a link
Tui Garden Products

[baggyman]

Do you have to order it from New zealand?

[Dottie]

Is the bran I sometimes add to my porridge, just as good?

[Alice]

Thank you for that Sam.
Can you tell us where we can buy it and how to apply it.

[mbronco27_03]

I have had a zero slug problem this year!!!
I read up about slugs, invested in some copper tape, which I put all around my raised beds. Bought off ebay, cheapest place, 3m tape from garden centre nearly £5, £7 in some. I bought 12 x 4m tape for £24.50, so just over £2 each. and then also put down the organic slug pellets, and have to say, using these two methods, not one pesky slug or snail!!!

[Dottie]

I have had a zero slug problem this year!!!
I read up about slugs, invested in some copper tape, which I put all around my raised beds. Bought off ebay, cheapest place, 3m tape from garden centre nearly £5, £7 in some. I bought 12 x 4m tape for £24.50, so just over £2 each. and then also put down the organic slug pellets, and have to say, using these two methods, not one pesky slug or snail!!!

I've got wooden raised beds, so would I attach the copper tape to the sides or on top?

Also I have 5 large metal pots with blueberries, as they are metal will they be safe or would they still need copper tape? I only bought the tiny blueberry plants earlier this year and I was very surprised that to see that at least one of the plants has about 20 berries. I have poured a box of organic slug pellets in the pot with the berries, just as a precaution.

[Snadger]

Bran works by drying up the slug I think, but could attract other vermin?

[bluemoon]

I believe it works by the slug gorging itself on the bran, which then swells up and the slug explodes. It does work. A combination of bran, comfrey piles and net bags full of gravel have meant that I haven't used a slug pellet in 2 years.

[Snadger]

I believe it works by the slug gorging itself on the bran, which then swells up and the slug explodes. It does work. A combination of bran, comfrey piles and net bags full of gravel have meant that I haven't used a slug pellet in 2 years.

Exploding slugs eh? Now there's a welcome prospect! If not a bit messy!

[Two_Sheds]

GYO did a test last year (I think) and bran came top of the pops against slugs.

There's advice here too on different methods: Ugh...Slugs

[Beanie]

. . . A combination of bran, comfrey piles and net bags full of gravel have meant that I haven't used a slug pellet in 2 years.

Comfrey piles? As in, piles of Comfrey leaves?

[Beanie]

Copper tape - one gardening programme used copper pipe around the tops of it's raised beds, for the same reason. I guess if you can get hold of offcuts or old pipe it's a cheap idea, would last a while too!

On a slightly different note, I have noticed that my salad leaves in galvanised metal containers, suffer much less slug damage than my salad leaves in plastic containers. A totally unscientific test I know, but this is the second year of using them, last year was the same. I'm assuming they just don't like climbing the metal sides.