Topic: Advice on insect / pest control for a new gardener please!

[ChilliPepper]

Hello everyone!

Not only am I new to the this forum but I've also not long moved into a house with a garden so I'm new to allotment keeping too  :)  Forgive me if some of my questions appear very 'basic'  ;D

When we moved in our new place (from a flat) there was already a designated vegetable patch and a little greenhouse.  I spent the first weekend digging over the veggie patch and planted some herbs at one end and potatoes, lettuce and carrots at the other.  The greenhouse gained some tomatoes and chilli pepper plants.

Most of the stuff I've planted seems to be doing ok, but I've noticed that a few leaves have little 'nibbles' out of them, even in the greenhouse!  There are no obvious pests such as slugs about.

Could anyone recommend a basic means of controlling this sort of damage please?  I've learnt a bit about feeding my new plants, but I know nothing about insecticides etc.  Is there a good, general treatment I can put on my crops?  I have a very nosey cat too, so any chemical treatments would need to be pet friendly too please  8)

Thank you very much!

[Motherwoman]

It's probably slugs at night but if they are only little nibbles why do you need to squirt stuff all over them? You could try a torchlight search and a size 10 boot.

[grotbag]

Probably slugs,you can use various methods salt, soot, oat meal ,got a book 50 ways to kill slugs.it says if you get slugs and put in food blender then pour the puree on cats food the cat loves it !!

[MollyBloom]

Just as long as you don't make your breakfast smoothie in it afterwards....  ;)

[supersprout]

Welcome to A4a chillipepper, sounds like a lovely patch ;)
It depends what's causing the damage, you might be able to identify it by doing some searches on this forum. (Use the 'search' button third from the left at the top of the page).

A lot of people have reported the 'little nibbles' (with pictures!) and shared suggestions - from leaving the plants alone to grow out of it, to dusting with insecticide. Try searching on 'flea beetle' and 'bean weevil' if you think it's not slugs and it's really tiny nibbles all around the margin of the leaves. Give it a try and let us know if you can identify the problem. Or post a picture here!

It's not the nosey cat is it? ;D

[ChilliPepper]

Thanks very much for all the suggestions! Despite how it might have sounded in my first post, I'm actually very keen to avoid chemical treatments (it goes against why I wanted to grow my own in the first place really), I just thought if I couldn't figure out what the problem was, that might have to be my last resort.  Very pleased to hear that there are some other options! ;D

Olivia (my nosey moggy) has tried to nibble the odd tomato leaf, but this is definitely pest damage - the holes are far too delicate for her great chomping fangs   :D

I've had a look through some of the threads on here and I've now set up some 'beer traps' for the slugs :)  I still can't see any about but I'll have a look under the cover of darkness tonight and see if I can spy any of the little beasties.  There are definitely a few snails - I've even lifted a few out of the greenhouse in the past - if they cause the same sort of damage as slugs then we could have our culprit.

I'll let you all know how I get on, and thank you again for the suggestions :)  If the traps are successful then Olivia might even get slugs poached in ale for breakfast... ;D

[ChilliPepper]

Just an update... I tried the beer traps idea and this morning I did indeed find a vast number of tiny slugs floating about in Carling Black Label ;) They are very small - perhaps that's why I didn't spot them before.  Hopefully that will limit of the damage to my herbs and lettuces!

Once again, thanks for the help.  This is a very useful site and you'll do doubt see me about again! 8)

[SteveJ]

if you get slugs and put in food blender then pour the puree on cats food the cat loves it !!

Hi Grotbags,
Think I've got the same book as you.  I was also once told that slugs secrete a certain chemical when touched that is very mildly toxic to put off potential slug munchers.  I Remember my dog eating a slug once and immediately throwing up (I probably would too!). 

I do not know if there is any truth in this but would not risk a slug smoothie on my furry friends.  Just in case....