Topic: slugs

[mentallot]

there was an article on the radio yesterday about the explosion (in the number) of slugs.
The two suggestions I'd not heard mentioned before were

• scatter bran around your plants. apparently they love the stuff and cant stop eating it and it dries them up from the inside out till they croak, and
• coffee grounds - they get a massive caffeine *belt* when crawling over it  that they're not keen on

Anyone had any success with these ?

[BarriedaleNick]

IMHO coffee doesnt work.  I got a couple of snails and surrounded them with dry grounds and they went right over it - twice.  Maybe works with slugs..

[manicscousers]

Aeons ago, we used bran and were told off by the chairman as it brings rats in  ???

[bappelbe]

Maybe the rats would eat the slugs! ;D

There must be a downside to attracting rats but I can't think of it  ;)

[AdeTheSpade]

I have been using Slug Gone with great success.  I've got loads of lettuce, spinach, newly emerging carrots, beetroot, peas, all surrounded with this stuff - nothing's been touched at all - I love it! ;D

[star]

I use bran, its always worked but this year they crawled right over it to my Kale. So I go out with torch and scissors now. I shall put more bran down now the rain has stopped.

I haven't had a problem with rats which is good  ;D

[Pescador]

I use coffee grounds a lot and find them very successfull.
Need to use plenty and refresh after rain.

[martin godliman]

Many of those coffee grounds/egg shell/wood ash/Oates type remedies either don't work well or not well enough to rely on them.
I couldn't possibly have ever grown stuff without pellets even then they get washed away and one or two slugs get through and I need to renew them regularly.
They can devastate seedling once plants get big enough the slugs can have their share....those that survive the pellet war anyway  ;)

[cambourne7]

Found a 4 pk of old beer am going to put out some traps tonight and drown them in a nice way :) hehe