Topic: Copper collars to deter slugs

[carolinej]

Last year, I peeled the plastic wire off a piece of electrical cable and wrapped it around one of my pots. I didnt put any slug pellets on it, and didnt have any slug damage.

It's just a bit difficult getting the plastic stuff off. Watch your fingers!

cj :)

[Garden Manager]

Last year, I peeled the plastic wire off a piece of electrical cable and wrapped it around one of my pots. I didnt put any slug pellets on it, and didnt have any slug damage.

It's just a bit difficult getting the plastic stuff off. Watch your fingers!

cj :)

Try exposing just a short bit of the wire at one end, then pulling the wire out of the plastic with pliers.

[pompeydude]

I'm a little sceptical about the copper thing !
I've tried the tapes and copper tube, and they do seem to work to a certain degree, whilst still bright and clean, but i did try an experiment with copper tacks once.
I spent a very long two hours nailing hundreds of bright copper, very sharpe tacks, into a ring of pastic.
They were spaced very close together just mm's apart,  once i had done this i then subjected several of the slime critters to the task of escaping from " the ring of death" ( as it's new trade name was going to be) !!!   at first they did not escape (10 mins tops) but despite the very sharpe prickly COPPER tacks they just climbed on top and made there way to freedom, i tried several modified versoins with diffrent tack spacings, but the result was always the same.
The only success i ever had, was with a Vaseline and rock salt mixture spread round the top of a dish, and all three of the slugs ( diffrent types) and one snail,  refused to cross the mixture, i then made a load of it up and placed it round an old butler sink i have filled with Hostas, and it seemed to work.   
so I'm a bit of a copper sceptic really.

Phill
 ;D ;D ;D

[Lauren S]

Well I bought some copper wire tape from Wyevale and as I was fixing it to a pot...Darn if a slug wasn't spotted *watching me*....
(Cover your eyes, here comes my sadistic bit)  :o
I cut off about two inches and laid it on the wall in front of the slug. he stopped...ahem  ::) I moved the slug onto the copper and he frothed and slimed (just like when you salt them). He was dead by morning from shock I think.

My beautiful hosta has a home made copper ring, Asda cheap cat litter outside of this ring, sprinkled with *Blue Sweeties* I have had no new holes since doing this. Each morning slugs and snails have passed away on the cat litter, dehydrated.  ;D
Lauren

[Garden Manager]

Crikey you are sadistic Elle Ess. Thought i was being nasty the other day whan i decided to chuck a few snails in the pond - I took great pleasure in watching one struggle to reach a drier position!

Usualy i just dispatch them with a swift foot motion ;D. (Okay Okay, I just stamp on them!)

[Lauren S]

It was an experiment to see if it actually worked. All in the name of Horticultural Science you understand  ;)
Lauren

[Garden Manager]

It was an experiment to see if it actually worked. All in the name of Horticultural Science you understand  ;)
Lauren

I have to confess I was thinking of doing similar, ie put a slug or snail on some copper tape to see how it reacted. Now i know but i would mind seeing for myself.

[Shirley]

My OH is seriously thinking of replacing the hot water tank (reason too complicated to explain) so I am looking forward to having 2 large copper tubs!  The old tank does not have the insulation attached to it.

[Lauren S]

Shirley I think if cut into rings the tank would be ideal. If you need smaller rings just use copper nails to secure.

Lauren  :)

[cornykev]

I love all this talk of slug killings, I have formed my own group if any of you want to join. It's called SSS   Sadistic Slug Slayers and some of you sound like just what I'm looking for to join my group.  8) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[saljo]

Gardeners World recently showed the technique of Nailing/screwing copper pipe to edge of timber raised beds(stops them getting in) after applying nematodes solution (kills what's in the soil).  Pricey at first , but probably a good long term investment as it will last a years - just need to rub down with wire wool when it discolours

[katynewbie]

 ???

Just read somewhere else about spraying WD40 around pots and raised beds to stop slugs. Apparently it works, but would you want to eat anything liberally sprayed with it?!

 :-\