Topic: slugs and snails

[springbok]

What a site my veg patch is in this morning.

Slug stoppa has not worked and all my seedlings are eaten to shreds by the blasted slugs!!!.  ??? :-X :'(

I put blue pellets on all my flower pots and beds, and have about 200 dead snails this morning (and lots more if we picked them all up)

Are blue slug and snail pellets safe on veg patches???  I know its not organic but would it harm the food at all.  Being at my wits end I know they work.

Any ideas folks, cos the organic method has not worked at all.

[calendula]

I use egg shells a lot, don't plant out anything until it is big enough to cope with pests, only sow in situ where slugs and snails are less of a problem and try to avoid planting out during damp and warm patches in the weather - but it is a problem always

[Old bird]

Hiya Springbokgirlie

I have in the past used slug pellets but I have noticed we have a very precious thrush in the allotment area so would hate to kill her and/or her babies!

I have, so far, not had any slug damage at all - the result of sprinkling loads of used coffee grounds given to me by the local coffee shop!  I collect 3 bucketfuls a week from them! 

The other thing I used - and this was quite yucky was human hair from the hairdressers.  It was all perfectly clean as they only used washed hair - but it felt very strange!  Anyway you put this round plants/beds and the slugs/snails don't like the feel of it and their slime trail doesn't work on it!

Finally I use seaweed which has dried - gone brittle - then I have  broken up into small pieces - and then sprinkled round the plants!  This has in effect the same effect as eggshells - basically it is sharp and they don't like walking over it - also it probably smells a bit vile too!

Good luck with it!  I am sure that as I am being a bit smug - all the snails and slugs in the whole of somerset will descent now on my lottie!

Old Bird

[ceres]

I'm using the pellets I saw mentioned here and I think they were on GW too.  They're certified for organic use and don't harm wildlife.  They seem to work - I've got them in the mini-greenhouse here at home where snails are a problem and on the allotment where it's slugs.  They're called Advanced Slug Killer, blue container, cheapest at Wilko's £3.49.

[bupster]

I put my tiny overwintering brassicas under bottle cloches because they were being eaten alive by slugs, but as soon as the bottles were removed the little buggers started again. However, I surrounded each of the plants a couple of weeks ago with a circle of compost that the council had delivered, and even the most tender leaves were fine a week later. The compost I used was quite rough, don't know whether you could buy something similar at a garden centre, but it seems to be the only thing that's ever worked for me and I'm completely organic. (Will go down on Saturday now to find stumps...)

[star]

They are a real problem this year, and I have avoided using any pellets except this year. I use the organic ones that Ceres mentions. They are good and hopefully do not harm wildlife as the manufacturers suggest.

I shall be getting the beer traps out in a week or two when the temp rises a bit ;)

[posie]

Slug stoppa has not worked

Not worked on mine either, I bought it thinking, great, it's ok to use around everything and the little sods are having a party during the night!  Mind you, an odd thing is I've not seen so many slugs so far but tonnes of snails??

[betula]

The plants have more of a chance if they are a reasonable size when you plant them.

If they are tiny seedlings you have a real problem.

Have you done a torchlight search.That you will find to be most productive.

I use the slug bait that is unharmful to pets an d birds.Beer traps sunk level with the ground are good :)

[saddad]

raise the lip of the beer trap at least half an inch... to stop goodies like ground beetles falling in and drowning... lured by the beer the slugs will climb in...
 ;D

[springbok]

With the rain today, I have been amazed another two lettuces have disappeared!!!.

What I dont understand is where they disappear too lol, it looks like they have gone into the ground!!.

Another count... 56 dead snails.  This morning it was over 200! 

When we cleared the back garden 7 months ago (house has been empty for 18 months, dead fish were found, pond was taken)  we found 1000's of snails nesting everywhere.

I am wondering if I have a problem because they were not controlled for so long  ??? ???

[Suzanne]

It takes a while for a balance to be effective in the garden. For the first few years of taking our garden over the slugs were unstoppable, but we persevered with organic methods plus the Advanced success organic slug pellets (ferramol based). We now don't have to use anything as the birds and hedgehogs have taken over.

On the veg patch similar approach as I have taken both of my plots over from derelict. I did use nemaslug (nematodes) for the first couple of years but now find i don't need to in a normal year. Have applied nemaslug this weekend though as last year was so wet and lots of slug eggs when I have been digging the bed over.

[daileg]

sounds to me is your good nature thats invited them ill send you some more seeds to re sow sorry there all gone hope you squish the little blighters  :-[

[springbok]

sounds to me is your good nature thats invited them ill send you some more seeds to re sow sorry there all gone hope you squish the little blighters  :-[

LOL.. what you like daileg!  I am going to grow everything again in the greenhouse this time, think I have learnt my lesson not to sow seed first till I have the problem under control
 ;)