Produce > Pests & Diseases

The slug hunter with a strange new weapon

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Vinlander:
Just found this in NS.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25333760-900-rory-mc-donnell-interview-the-slug-hunter-with-a-strange-new-weapon/

I'm interested because a friend had great success with a few ml of beer in bottles left on their sides.

The downside was he had to buy the beer, and of course it got weaker every day as the alcohol evaporated.

I'm not prepared to waste drinkable beer on slugs, so I tried using the lees I throw away after brewing (or home-made fruit juice that's fermented in the fridge - often delicious) - but for some reason the slugs weren't interested.

Using bread dough makes a lot of sense - especially in terms of economics - it's still fermenting while waiting for customers, and the flour will maintain the attraction too (and I suspect stale bread with a small dose of lees will work just as well - might even try adding cardboard - they seem to love it).

Can't wait to try it.

Cheers.

tricia:
Thanks Vinlander - worth a try. I'll make a few balls next week when prepping my sourdough bread. I've already seen a few slugs and snails, not many yet as there is not much for them to munch on!
Tricia  :wave:

BarriedaleNick:
I guess you just put it in a container that has a small entrance or it would just dry out?

Obelixx:
Or on the soil with a slate or something propped over it to keep off the sun.

I shall give this a try as I've recently started making my own bread - the French don't understand wholemeal - and I've discovered that slugs and snails may be the source of parasitic worms that have killed 2 of our recue hens.   Can't/won't use pellets so yeasty dough it is.

Thanks for the link Vinlander.

gray1720:
That's really interesting. I'm trying to be as wildlife friendly as possible, and I wonder whether a trap heaving full of gastropods might be a good way of encouraging snail eaters. I've never used metaldehyde, and really only use the iron phosphate pellets in the greenhouse where there shouldn't be too many worms, so this sounds well worth trying. Plus home made bread is rather tasty.

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