Slugs/Snails

Samuel T. Cogley

Hi folks,

these little sods are eating everything! The wife is not keen on pellets because we have two cats, any suggestions - they've demolished all my peas and beans and are at work on my brassicas. I've literally just gone and hand picked up over 50 of the things and deposited them in the bin (collection tomorrow).

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

jomalone14

Any organic slug killers will do the trick and are not harmful to pets or wildlife. Neudorff Sluggo is the brand I'm familiar with, you should be able to buy it in most garden stores, Woodies etc

The traditional blue slug pellets should be banned from sale, quite poisonous when eaten by wildlife, even in small quantities

_Brian

Nematodes are a great natural solution, we've used them in the past and found it very effective.
We got it from Mr Middleton website.

Set up beer traps.

I use plastic containers, like Chinese food containers, set into the ground so they are flush with ground level. Fill with beer. Scoop out drunken troublemakers when they've died.

Nell B

I find seaweed dust brilliant for keeping them away. They just don't like it and it helps the plants.

Nell B

Nell B wrote: »

I find seaweed dust brilliant for keeping them away. They just don't like it and it helps the plants.

Must try that...do you lump it on or break it up?

Nell B

I usually just sprinkle it around the base of the plant - fairly generously. It seems to stay working even after a shower or two of rain.

Dr_Colossus

Nell B wrote: »

I find seaweed dust brilliant for keeping them away. They just don't like it and it helps the plants.

Interesting, where do you source it around Dublin and what kind of price?
Similar to the OP also have quite a problem with slugs/snails, no sewn veg to worry about but a few flowers we planted in a raised bed a couple of weeks back have nearly all been eaten to the roots despite me having picked and dumped about 40 of the scourges shortly after planting. Also similar to the OP don't want to use pellets as we have a cat and a hedgehog that keeps the rest of the garden in check but can't or doesn't seem to bother climbing into the raised bed.

Nell B

I get it from Fruit Hill Farm - they are in Cork and on-line - I can't post a link as I'm a 'newbie' here. I guess that they are not the only suppliers, try any organic farming / gardening supplier.

You would have loads in the 4 kg. size, usually I put it down when transplanting / setting seed- I believe it helps with transplant shock too for plants. You can aso add the powder to water to make a liquid feed for houseplants so, I find it good as an 'all rounder'.

Hope you get the better of them - I had a huge problem a few years ago but thankfully all is Ok now (touching wood!). Even my sunflowers survived this year so far with a handful of this around the base. All I need now is a few blossoms on them!

Samuel T. Cogley

Thanks folks!

I think a multi pronged attack is in order. I'll get some slug pellets - the organic ones. The beer trap entertained the wife. We live in a nice, but working class area and some (what we thought was an) asshat threw a beer can in the front, turns out we can no reassure ourselves he was just a considerate fellow keeping an eye out for the slug issue!

Seaweed - would the raw stuff do the trick or is it bad to go collecting it?

Samuel T. Cogley

Thanks for the heads up on the Nematodes! We have an old decking area which is one of the biggest issues I think, might invest in some of these.

What are people's thoughts on a pond? Would frogs be an answer - what's the smallest I could make the pond and how far away could it be. Would the cats go for the frog do you think?

_Brian

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Thanks for the heads up on the Nematodes! We have an old decking area which is one of the biggest issues I think, might invest in some of these.

What are people's thoughts on a pond? Would frogs be an answer - what's the smallest I could make the pond and how far away could it be. Would the cats go for the frog do you think?

Nematodes are for soil and won't do anything for decking.

They are a tiny worm that lives naturally in the soil, adding more eliminaties slugs as they burrow into them and kill them, natural soil based solution suitable for Veg and flowers and the slugs are harmless to other wildlife. They are predators of slugs !
Please don't use slug pellets as they are a danger to other wildlife.

I always felt beer traps attract slugs from far and Wide

Nell B

As far as I know if it is washed up it's OK to collect - small quantities I guess - but there are rules for picking off rocks as you could damage the plant and it would not grow back. Years ago farmers had rights to collect on stretches of beach but mostly they don't bother anymore. I go to Kerry regularly and have not seen anyone collecting.

Samuel T. Cogley

Oh these are for the veggie garden - the decking is a different matter and hopefully getting ripped out soon.

Bought the slug pellets suggested in thread without the M stuff in them.

On sea weed, it's the stuff washed up on Dollymount Strand so no rocks or anything. I'll collect a bag or so!

Samuel T. Cogley

I did have a moment where I was thinking you folks were the best wind up merchants since I did adventure training, but lo and behold at least a dozen of the little bastards died a happy death last night; not in any beer mind you - some premium Heineken I was drinking while doing some gardening.

I've a combination of things I'm trying so thanks a million for the advice!

Harry Palmr

Just seen mention of decking - for a slug free growing environment get rid of the wood - it's just a home for the little blighters. I know "sleepers" are a popular back garden feature but really get rid - growing beds don't need them and while convenient for terracing it's worth looking at other methods - such as stone. Oh yeah - don't leave empty growing trays about the place either.

The Red Ace

like you I have the same problems with the slugs, was speaking today to a long time gardener who told me to dissolve a cup of Epsom salts in a watering can of hot water and let cool, then use the water for watering the plants, assured me it has worked for years for him

Dr_Colossus

In a different corner today picked 75 of these creatures in about 10 mins from just two bushes after the rains Thought one of the plants was dying but instead it was these destructive yokes that had it stripped to the stalks

Hillybilly4

This year (but not until after all my first beetroot and all but one kohl rabi were devoured) I've been experimenting with offcuts of roofing felt, cut into squares/circles and placed around the base of each vulnerable plant.
It has a coarse, sandpaper-like surface and, touchwood, seems to have worked thus far
Given up trying to grow beetroot other than in pots now.

Harry Palmr

Broken up egg shells around the base of plants is another one to try

megadodge

On the subject of slugs, I have been using Sluggo for a few years now and have noticed last year and this year that a certain magpie actually eats the pellets! I kid you not. I've seen him doing it a number of times and obviously he has lived to tell the tale.

I guess it helped allay any fears I had of them being dangerous to other creatures.

KhyrieLiam

Good to hear that. Might as well try that in my garden as well since I have the same problem as yours. I just got stuck with pellets but I cant afford to loose my cat if ever he will swallow it. Thanks for the info though.

Hocus Focus

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Thanks folks!

I think a multi pronged attack is in order. I'll get some slug pellets - the organic ones. The beer trap entertained the wife. We live in a nice, but working class area and some (what we thought was an) asshat threw a beer can in the front, turns out we can no reassure ourselves he was just a considerate fellow keeping an eye out for the slug issue!

Seaweed - would the raw stuff do the trick or is it bad to go collecting it?

It's actually illegal to take seaweed without the relevant licence/permit

Hocus Focus

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

In a different corner today picked 75 of these creatures in about 10 mins from just two bushes after the rains Thought one of the plants was dying but instead it was these destructive yokes that had it stripped to the stalks

Whenever I collect a few slugs I put them on the bird table. Friendly neighbourhood robin takes them before they can escape.

Samuel T. Cogley

Hocus Focus wrote: »

It's actually illegal to take seaweed without the relevant licence/permit

Just having a check there and it's pretty unclear it seems - speaking from a purely legal perspective. I say this not to reject the advice you have generously given, but to point out it's an interesting legal anomaly. I'll start a thread on it over in LD at some point. If you've any links or anything to get me started I'd be obliged. The website I looked at simply said permit required unless for 'personal use' and 'small quantities'. The link to the government website is, of course, broken!

http://www.seaweed.ie/irish_seaweed_contacts/index.php

The Article on the website will give me something to read while waiting for various appointments! :pac:

paulbok

If you want to go down the route of hand picking the blighters, tinned cat food makes a fantastic bait.

Anytime we've left out the cats dish with some in at at night, it's like a zombie movie seeing slugs make a beeline to the dish one it gets dark.

Using them, it is possible to make your own slug/snail nematode mix.

Lumen

Runner ducks.

seagull

Lumen wrote: »

Runner ducks.

I don't think it matters much which breed of duck. We had aylesburys growing up, and they did a pretty good job.

Lumen

seagull wrote: »

I don't think it matters much which breed of duck. We had aylesburys growing up, and they did a pretty good job.

Sure. I just think Runners are awesome. :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6DsNHVDIQA

Springwell

Those organic slug pellets aren't as innocuous as they seem - they can harm other animals.

Samuel T. Cogley

So I've cleared out behind my shed, and arranged for a skip etc. to do some other tiding up. I've salted the earth! And will continue to do so in what is now a much reduced gap. Sure enough there were many of the little buggers so hopefully I'm on the road to getting rid of them as a massive pest.

The myriad of others I'm being introduced to though as a novice home veggie grower is staggering. Today I was spraying broad-bean plants with dilute fairy liquid to try and get rid of some of the aphids!

Thanks for all the help folks!