Author Topic: Slugs and Snails  (Read 2539 times)

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Slugs and Snails
« on: April 05, 2006, 10:07:14 »
... many about so far this year?

I realise its still early and we've had cold weather but things are slowly warming up now so the little slime devils should be starting to get about now.

So has there been much signs of them in your garden/lottie?

Personaly i havent seen (or caught) many, but have found loads of empty shells showing that either someone has been busy eating them (havent seen what/who) or they have been dying off in the cold and dry weather. Given the quantities the former explanation seems likely.

SMP1704

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Re: Slugs and Snails
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2006, 10:13:06 »
I'm still at the diggin' and weedin' stage on the plot.  Recently I have been digging up quite a few snails (didn't realise they tunnelled as well)  A different species to what I get in the garden - these are yellow with a brown circular pattern on their shells.  All that I have found have been squished underfoot. ::)

Garden Manager

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Re: Slugs and Snails
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2006, 10:18:23 »
I'm still at the diggin' and weedin' stage on the plot.  Recently I have been digging up quite a few snails (didn't realise they tunnelled as well)  A different species to what I get in the garden - these are yellow with a brown circular pattern on their shells.  All that I have found have been squished underfoot. ::)
Thats funny, thats the kind i have seen (and squished) the most of too. Havent seen any (living) examples of the normal large brown/grey shelled kind.

Either the Thrush I saw fleetingly in the garden a few weeks ago has been busy (and very elusive), a toad has come out of hibernation early, theres a hedgehog about, or some of the other birds have had a change of diet (most likely the blackbirds).

SMP1704

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Re: Slugs and Snails
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2006, 10:28:12 »
I'm working in the garden today, so I'll keep a look out for snail varieties there and report back later.

I've never seen the yellow variety before - are they specialised veggie eaters ???

Bluejane

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Re: Slugs and Snails
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2006, 11:01:25 »
I get loads of the yellow and brown ones, too - they mainly seem to like hiding in our rather loose stone walls. Don't get many in the veg garden - maybe they're less dangerous than most! We can but hope, anyway ....

Bluejane

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Re: Slugs and Snails
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2006, 11:06:49 »
PS - have just looked up the brown/yellow chaps and they seem to be Brown-lipped Snails (Cepaea nemoralis). According to the book they like woodland, hedgerows and dunes. No mention of lettuces, anyway ...

MrsKP

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Re: Slugs and Snails
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2006, 11:50:37 »
have only found one small slug which was busily chomping it's way through my first tray of marigolds INDOORS !  He is no more - but sadly neither are the marigolds.

not seen any at all whilst digging the beds but as i've imported all the compost i guess that's why.  not seen any shells either.

more or less everything in the mini-greenhouses and the broad beans are surrounded by eggshells and pinking sheared collars.  i'll lay the beer traps when i start planting out more.
There's something happening every day  @ http://kaypeesplot.blogspot.com/ & http://kaypeeslottie.blogspot.com/

fluffygrue

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Re: Slugs and Snails
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2006, 12:18:01 »
I read somewhere that it's the common garden snail is the big baddy, and that the little yellow/spiral ones don't do much damage. We do seem to be getting lots of those lately, though..

On the slug front, the amount of rain we've had lately means I'm seeing lots of babies around, but I'm hoping they get eaten by birds. There must be some big 'uns around though, because something's been having a go at the comfrey and rhubarb (mumble mumble).

Melanie

SMP1704

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Re: Slugs and Snails
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2006, 17:24:41 »
Hi there

Reporting back as promised.  In the garden are the usual brown variety - or I should say were ;D ;D.

I moved all the pots and found most of their hiding places - it was a massacre.  Not sure if Mr Thrush likes his snails ready shelled.......

Just a thought - on the plot I have some horseradish, well it think it is - it smells like horseradish.  Anyway, something keeps munching the leaves, so the yellow chaps obviously have a taste for the hot stuff.

Note to self - keep chillies at home ;)

scumpy

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Re: Slugs and Snails
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2006, 16:32:28 »
Hi all
Don't seem to have many snails around so far, just a few in/under the usual hiding places.

As for the slugs, loads of them particularly 1inch long black ones that appear too live below the surface. The beer traps have been working overtime, had to empty them after a few days as they are full!!

Gross

Happy hunting

Columbus

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Re: Slugs and Snails
« Reply #10 on: April 08, 2006, 08:07:11 »
Hi all,

Strange, I`ve too noticed a lot of the yellow and brown ones.

I`ve found snails collected together overwintering or breeding (or socialising) in key spots around the plot, around edging stones that can`t be removed.

They also like to lurk under plastic module trays in the gaps and can be tricked into them for collection but I also found small frogs in the same place so I`ve left those alone for a while.

Col
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