Topic: Slug Control

[lezelle]

Hi All, I think it's slugs and snails eating my brassicas. I grow them in weed barrier with holes cut in. I have crushed egg shells and sprinkled them around every plant but maybe not enough. I have got some hair from the barber to see if that helps. I am reluctant to use pellets as there is a blackbird and a robin that come right up close when i am weeding. I have got some liquid traps, never used yet< and was wondering if alcohol free beer would be a good thing to use to trap them. Does anyone have a home made recipe for a liquid trap? I have my home brew but it's for me  but would try it.  Has anyone got advice to help. Thankyou all in advance.

[Obelixx]

I've been watching all my Geoff Hamilton CDs lately whilst sewing a patchwork quilt.

He recommends calcified seaweed which would also feed your brassicas and beer traps but it has to be proper beer to attract them.  You could try getting round that by making a solution of sugar and yeast and see if that attracts them.  Make sure the lip of your container is above soil level so good guys, such as beetles who eat lots of slugs, don't fall in and drown

[saddad]

Not sure about alcohol free, but can't think of a better use for it! I used to use Trent Bitter which was only about 3% ABV and came in 2L polybottles. I think it is the smell that attracts them.

[George the Pigman]

A few years ago the RHS did a controlled trial of reported traditional  non chemical methods for preventing slug damage to lettuce plants. None of them were any better than doing nothing..
One technique that is suggested is going at night and picking them off the plants and ground. If I did that on our urban allotment the houses at the back of us would call the police in no time!
I have tried beer traps and they get rid of a lot of slugs but are smelly and messy to clear out

[Vinlander]

On the subject of beer traps, a friend of mine who's a proper biologist always recommends glass bottles on their sides on level ground - this means less beer but enough = slugs have no problem climbing up a glass overhang, and beetles do find it difficult, so all those useful slug killers escape drowning.

The horizontal position also means the beer hardly gets diluted by rain (except horizontal rain - and if spring and summer ever appear that won't be a problem so much) - I suppose a slight downwards tilt might help if you get Shetland weather.

Cheers.

[Obelixx]

That's a great idea Vinlander. 

Unfortunately, most of my slimesters come with their own house built-in and I don't suppose that would fit in a beer bottle neck.   I could try with our juice bottles tho.