Hedgehogs.

[alfiemarley]

During the 1950s their were estimated to have been about 30 million hedgehogs in the UK but now their are thought to be less than a million. One of the causes of their decline is slug pellets and I have spoken to someone who said that hedgehogs as well as many birds such as song thushes will only eat a slug that is alive and will not touch a dead one. She is right up to a point but what if the slug has eaten a pellet and is dieing but still moving about, will the hedgehog know it has been poisoned and leave it alone, of coarse it wont because hedgehogs are not the cleverest of creatures and will eat it and die a horrible death. Why can't gardeners and allotment holders buy pellets that wont kill wildlife other than slugs and remember frogs and toads eat slugs as well and their numbers are down. I will now tell you what I do, I keep a number of plastic containers and fill them with beer, the slugs and snails cannot resist it and go in the beer and drown so only the slugs die and no wildlife is affected. You can get basic beer from Sainsbury's which cost 99 pence for 4 cans so it is cheaper than slug pellets but of course requires a little more time to fill the containers which don't have to be large and after a day or two the slugs and snails can be collected up and thrown on the heap which we all have and be burnt in Winter with everything else such as weeds and grass twitch. It is high time the government came to it's senses and banned these evil slug pellets, after all when was the last time you saw a hedgehog, I havent even seen one dead on the road for years and in the days when I saw dead ones it was at least an indication that they were quite common but they are not common now I am afraid. Allotments should be havens for wildlife such as hedgehogs, frogs, toads, song thushes ect but sadly they are not because too many people are just selfish and uncaring.

[Guest]

Do you feel better?

[Jay22]

Tell me alfiem, as much as they cause a lot of problems in the garden...aren't slugs and snails wildlife too?

[Tiny Allotment]

I wouldn't even give slugs 99p beer.

I just take a milk container along to my local and they fill it up with beer from the drip trays.

Only the best real ale for my slugs.

paul

[Nicos]

At least the UK is ahead of France.
I've not been able to find 'organic' slug pellets here.
( nor any compost which isn't peat based!)

[Tiny Allotment]

Another thing I am thinking is. Can I feed slugs to the fish in the aquponics system.

One of the fascinating aspects of aquaponics is you are always on the lookout for ways to reduce the inputs into the system and increase your outputs.

One of the major inputs is fish food so if I can feed them slugs then it is a win win situation unless you are a slug that is.

Tadpoles love slugs. Not love in a hugs and kisses sort of way. love in a chompy chewy sort of way. I videoed the plight of one poor slug I tossed into the pond and it is like an attack of the piranhas.

Very graphic.

paul

[Knight of Albion]

Tell me alfiem, as much as they cause a lot of problems in the garden...aren't slugs and snails wildlife too?

I think Alfie is making the highly valid point that use of poisons in gardens, for weed and pest control, poison more than just the intended target. They kill all the way up the food chain. Adversely affecting birds, amphibians and animals.

Slug poisons are going to poison creatures that feed on slugs. Aphid poisons are going to poison creatures that feed on aphids. (A prime food source for baby birds) etc. etc.

And ultimately using poisons on plants grown for human consumption ...

There is a growing list of commercial weedkillers/poisons that were passed as 'safe', used widely for years, but have since been banned, usually for having been found to be carcinogenic.
I saw a French study on Roundup a while back ...

It's a thorny issue for gardeners I know, but gardening ecologically helps everyone and everything.
Give me wonky shaped or nibbled fruit and veg! That's what Mother Nature intended!

[Jungle Jane]

One of the major inputs is fish food so if I can feed them slugs then it is a win win situation unless you are a slug that is.

I don't know about slugs but you can feed fish mosquito larvae?

[Martin H]

I don't know about slugs but you can feed fish mosquito larvae?

Yes. Depends on the fish of course, but omnivores love them.