Slug Despair! Any advice welcome!

[emily84]

Hi Guys!

This is my 2nd post on Grapevine and as you people are all so lovely, I feel safe to ask this probably stupid and been answered a million times question! Appologies if it's long winded!

I'm new to this having my own garden thing but now I have, I've been busy planting away! Got some indoor seedlings of leeks, toms & basil and
some small mint plants in pots outdoors. In my veg patch I have carrots (not yet sprouted and not v hopeful that they will!) and some garlic and onion sets (red baron) growing away nicely with more stuff to be added once I get paid!

I have also planted up my borders a bit with snowdrops, foxgloves (1st yr plant I think), crocuses, allium bulbs, an aubrieta and a lovely little blue plant who's name escapes me!

My problem is that I am getting totally swapped with slugs of all shapes and sizes, including some beasts about 4/5" long! I've been going out with my tourch at night and picking the little monsters but it's getting a bit silly!

So far my foxglove is full of holes, snowdrops are getting smaller everyday (went out last night and saw a little one hanging off the end of a leaf!) but my biggest victim is my beautiful aubrieta! It is basically falling apart. Originally I blamed the birds as I put it by their feeders and I thought maybe they were squishing it but last night I discovered the truth. I found AT LEAST 8 tiny slugs mobbing my poor little plant, eating the leaves and petals!

I'm really annoyed as I've got all these plants to try and attract bugs and insects, I don't want them trashed before they've even had chance to grow and I'm worried my veggies are next on the menu!

So, I didn't want to kill them (might sound stupid but I'm vegetarian and it just don't feel right!) but this going out with a tourch thing just isn't working and they're pushing it now!

I wondered about salt - can I leave it on the ground or do I have to actually pour it on a slug? (don't want to hear them screaimg 'murderer' at me!) Will it affect my plants/veg/birds/any other bugs or wildlife in the garden?

Is there any friendlier options? I hear the beer thing is no good because beneficial beetles etc can end up in it?

Any advice to get rid of these trouble makers in the friendliest and/or most effective way would be very welcomed!

Thanks,

Emily & her poor plants

[Capsid]

Beer traps work well, if you fill them up then the beetles can get out. But ultimately if you have a big problem then it's slug pellets. Otherwise all of your cherished seedlings will be devoured as soon as you put them out.

[ginger ninger]

Poor you, slugs can a massive pain in the bum. Where do you put the slugs when you've removed them of your plants?

Slug/snails are like homing pigeons...they WILL come back.

If you don't want to kill them put them in a large plastic container with a lid, take them for a long walk well away from your plants and free them, preferably no where near anyone else's garden, that way they can live out there slimy life's doing what they should do...feed the hedgehogs and toads of your area.
Good Luck with them.

[Hermit]

There are other ways, the 1 i would not use is slug pellets, as hedgehogs, frogs and birds can eat the slugs whats eaten the pellets and get i'll. The 2 other leathel options other than salt is a slug pub, ether put a cup or anything really with a bit of depth but beer in it and cove slightly leaving slugs to crawl through. The other way is bran. I think you get it from pet shops for horse 25kg about £6-7 the slugs eat it and die. The option i tried 2years ago was a shock mat cut into strips and nailed on wood. But a heavy wing ad d 6 months later it came off. The last year was copper tape. Its great on post and all plastic but on wood and concreate the tape comes off after a few weeks. But on post tape every time, now they have some plastic circles what can be made straight with slug tape what would solve the problem putting directly on wood.. If you get a pack of nematodes they will eat all the slugs in the area and you will be slug free for 6-8 weeks. I have some slug gaurds to try this year they hve a small spiky rim just before the top to stop slugs, next year copper barriers. Copper slugs and snails cannot cross as it gives them a little electric shock but it can be expensive but its none leathel. Collars a friend is using and says is doing good with them, you could use tree bark or rought stones as slugs don't like crossing them, i'll post some links so you can decide what you prefer.
Lawn Edging with built-in Slug Guard
Slug Ban Pack of 5 Reusable Plant Protecting Copper Strips
http://www.idealworld.tv/SearchGridView.aspx?fh_location=//idealworld/en_GB/$s=slug
slug, Weed Pest Control, Plants Seeds Bulbs, Fertiliser Soil Improvement items at low prices on eBay.co.uk
Slug & Weed Mat (Gardening Equipment)
Cabbage Collars (Gardening Equipment)
ways to stop slugs - Google Search

[Pumpkin Becki]

Its a tough call - I've had some success with nematodes

Nemaslug Slug Killer

I try not to use slug pellets, and would much rather chop the blighters in half with a pair of scissors. I'd try to encourage friendly wildlife to the garden, birds (as you already are), hedgehogs, frogs and toads if you can.

There are squillions of slugs in just a square metre of garden, so you'll never wipe out the population I'm afraid. Just keep fighting the good fight!

[rustylady]

Sorry, I've tried all sorts and resorted to the little blue smarties. Salt you actually have to pour on the slug, and it will also probably kill any plants nearby. It works by drawing moisture out of whatever it touches.

[emily84]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

Ginger Ninger - I have been throwing them onto the area of grass over the road from my house in the hope it would at least take them a little while to get back! I do live near a park though so I suppose I could pot them up and take them to the park!

I am planning some sort of pond container and hedgehog/frog shelter as I'd love to have them visit anyway so hopeful this will help but unfortunatly still in planning stages! Any tips for this guys?! What works / doesn't work?!
As I say, I livev just up the road from park so hopeful for actually getting visitors!

The nematodes sound good, I'd rather something else kill them than have to do it myself! I did read about these before but what I read said they may also eat beneficial insects etc in the garden, is this the case?

We're getting lots more birds now, was just sparrows but think the others have caught onto our food and now getting a bit more of a variety so fingers crossed!

Thanks again, emily

[emily84]

I have just seen a video on youtube of a slug quite happily crawling over a copper strip! Don't think I'll bother with the copper, seems a bit hit and miss!

Wish I could train my dog to be a slug hunter!

Bit worried about the pellets too for the amount of other animals they also seem to harm, tricky one!

Was thinking about trying something hard/gritty round the plants but after seeing a pic of a snail crawling on a cactus, I am not so hopeful for this tactic either!

[Capsid]

I'm not convinced that slug pellets cause harm to other animals. This article seems to confirm that.

Slug pellets - harm to wildlife. Safe to use

[binley100]

Slugs are and will be an ongoing problem for gardeners. You could try a ring of something gritty like crushed eggshells, sharp sand, coffe grounds round each plant. You can get slug pellets ( I think they have no metaldehyde in them ) which are organic. We got some from Ryton Organic Gardens. If you want to protect your plants you have to get tough and show them no mercy , it's a protection/ survival thing.

[Pumpkin Becki]

I'm not convinced that slug pellets cause harm to other animals. This article seems to confirm that.

Slug pellets - harm to wildlife. Safe to use

I once found a very immaciated frog in my garden (still alive but very boney ) and I got it into my head that he looked that way because I had been using slug pellets. I didn't even know we had frogs, we don't have a pond and neither do any of our neighbours! Anyhoo, after finding him, I vowed never to use them again. I have no proof that his condition was anything to do with ingesting slug pellets, or indeed slugs that had eaten slug pellets, I just can't shake that image of my boney little frog.

[emily84]

I once found a very immaciated frog in my garden (still alive but very boney ) and I got it into my head that he looked that way because I had been using slug pellets. I didn't even know we had frogs, we don't have a pond and neither do any of our neighbours! Anyhoo, after finding him, I vowed never to use them again. I have no proof that his condition was anything to do with ingesting slug pellets, or indeed slugs that had eaten slug pellets, I just can't shake that image of my boney little frog.

Becki,

Oh no, what a horrible thing to find in your garden!

What do you do instead now?

[Nicos]

I found that nematodes were brilliant.
If you apply every other year, it'll keep your numbers down, but still leave a few for the wildlife!

If you make a small pond, you're bound to get a few fogs moving in eventually.

[binley100]

I once found a very immaciated frog in my garden (still alive but very boney ) and I got it into my head that he looked that way because I had been using slug pellets. I didn't even know we had frogs, we don't have a pond and neither do any of our neighbours! Anyhoo, after finding him, I vowed never to use them again. I have no proof that his condition was anything to do with ingesting slug pellets, or indeed slugs that had eaten slug pellets, I just can't shake that image of my boney little frog.

PB sometimes they get like that if they've got dehydrated from too much sun.

[emily84]

Thanks again guys, all v great advice as usual!

I think I may try some of these nematodes, what do you do with them? Guessing you just scatter them around your soil? Are they quite specialists/ My local garden centre is Melbicks (garden & leisure group), hoping they'll have a supply?