SLUGS

seagull

Some slugs are actually beneficial, in that they are carnivorous and eat other slugs and snails. It's worth educating yourself as to which are which if you're going hand collecting.

marask

seagull wrote: »

Some slugs are actually beneficial, in that they are carnivorous and eat other slugs and snails. It's worth educating yourself as to which are which if you're going hand collecting.

Would you be able to say which ones are the 'good'? We have loads of the black ones, at the moment I either collect or use the sluggo pellets.

iainBB

marask wrote: »

Would you be able to say which ones are the 'good'? We have loads of the black ones, at the moment I either collect or use the sluggo pellets.

I got 8 in my beer traps beside the running beans last night.
Only 5% are above the surface at one time so that would mean I have about 160 per square meter or so.

Jellybaby1

iainBB wrote: »

I got 8 in my beer traps beside the running beans last night.
Only 5% are above the surface at one time so that would mean I have about 160 per square meter or so.

Ugh! If I ever saw that many I think I'd drink the beer myself and I don't drink! I replenished the beer yesterday and there are more floating, and sunk in the jars today. That must be 50 by now. A lot done, but more to do.

Qualitymark

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Ugh! If I ever saw that many I think I'd drink the beer myself and I don't drink! I replenished the beer yesterday and there are more floating, and sunk in the jars today. That must be 50 by now. A lot done, but more to do.

Hopefully not before taking the slugs out

If you use beer traps (or the Scrooge version made with sugar, yeast, flour and warm water), and go out and kill a few every night, you lessen the problem unbelievably.

Still searching for artichoke and cardoon plants (sigh).

Nice video on different methods of getting rid of slugs. Wonder if you can get that nice seaweed powder in Ireland…

seagull

marask wrote: »

Would you be able to say which ones are the 'good'? We have loads of the black ones, at the moment I either collect or use the sluggo pellets.

I know leopard slugs are beneficial. I can't remember which others are.

One rule of thumb - If they're decorative and pointy, they're good, if they're plain and rounded, they're bad.

JuliusCaesar

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Ugh! If I ever saw that many I think I'd drink the beer myself and I don't drink! I replenished the beer yesterday and there are more floating, and sunk in the jars today. That must be 50 by now. A lot done, but more to do.

Qualitymark wrote: »

Hopefully not before taking the slugs out

LOL! Yuk! LOL! Yuk!
:eek: There is no emoticon that can do justice to this exchange!

deemy

As picking and killing the slugs on our nightly hunt last night I remembered that I had totally forgotten I had posted this question !!! Thank you for all the replies. We still have a problem here with the feckers. Someone suggested Bark mulch to me so bought some in Aldi yesterday....is it supposed to smell as bad as it does .. very plasticky smelling?? Not sure if I want to be spreading it all over my beets and courgettes tbh?? Anyhows was talking to our new neighbours this morning and they used seaweed collected straight from the beach and placed it around beds and as of yet all plants are still intact. Think I might try this. Just thought Id share. Super good for the soil also. I remember my grandad placing seaweed on his veggie patch at the end of each season and he had the yummiest of spuds

coolhull

deemy wrote: »

As picking and killing the slugs on our nightly hunt last night I remembered that I had totally forgotten I had posted this question !!! Thank you for all the replies. We still have a problem here with the feckers. Someone suggested Bark mulch to me so bought some in Aldi yesterday....is it supposed to smell as bad as it does .. very plasticky smelling?? Not sure if I want to be spreading it all over my beets and courgettes tbh?? Anyhows was talking to our new neighbours this morning and they used seaweed collected straight from the beach and placed it around beds and as of yet all plants are still intact. Think I might try this. Just thought Id share. Super good for the soil also. I remember my grandad placing seaweed on his veggie patch at the end of each season and he had the yummiest of spuds

Don't worry, the smell will go after a few days. The sharp edges of the bark are a great deterrent to creatures that crawl on their bare bellies!

Jellybaby1

Well the broken egg shells did not deter my slimy friends. I can't believe it but the beer has done a great job of getting rid of about 80+ slugs using two jars. I haven't even seen any live slugs since I started beer baiting them. Last year my garden was a wall-to-wall slug fest! I'm happy for the moment. My remaining lettuces are keeping us full of salads but I am watching my next batch of lettuce plants coming along in a seed tray and hoping I won't lose them all once I plant them out. Anyway, I now know how to stop the blighters in their tracks!

Qualitymark

This is why the eggshells aren't that reliable:

coolhull

Qualitymark wrote: »

This is why the eggshells aren't that reliable:

It makes you wonder why they didn't just go round . It wouldn't have made them much later for any appointments

Qualitymark

Short cut.

Jellybaby1

I flew through that - can't bare to look a slug in the face. Now I won't be able to sleep tonight!