Chemical free slug removal?

[pjb]

Any tips on keeping slugs/snails at bay? I don't really want to use pellets if I can help it but on the other hand I do want some of my winter veg to grow to full size. What does every body else use?

[pjb]

[cornykev]

Beer traps, copper wire, egg shells but I use pellets, tried not to but its the only way to keep an army at bay.  :'(   ;D ;D ;D

[Uncle Joshua]

This year I was talked in to buying a new type of pellet that contained sheeps wool, the guy that sold me it said it was the best thing ever in the fight against snails, all it ended up doing was giving my cabbages black spots so I switched back to the normal ones.

[Lauren S]

The day somebody comes up with a 100% deterrant for slugs and snails, they will be instant millionaires. I hope that day comes quick.  ::)

[star]

Slug Stoppa......it can be bought from Wyevale at £2.99. Its lime granules that they hate you do need a fair amount though. I have tried it, it does work but can work out expensive on a lottie.

[DadnDom]

I have had a nightmare with slugs and snails in the garden this year:( I couldn't use pellets as I have chickens free ranging so as a result the slugs have eaten everything :(

Is there a chicken friendly way of killing slugs and snails? Or would it be a good excuse to get a couple of ducks?  ;)

[manicscousers]

I've use sug stoppa but, they wash away in the rain so it dos work out expensive..when they're small,  I put plastic collars ( cut a 2 ltr pop bottles with pinking shears )..also, lime around the brassicas etc  ;D

[star]

I agree MC, SStoppa is not waterproof, I have tried the bottle barrier too it can be successful. I use bran as well and if the little blighters eat too much....they pop! Even if they dont, the hope is they fill up with the bran and leave the crops alone :)

[bedrockdave]

We've made a pond and filled it with toad spawn from the local trout pool , the slugs are still about but hopefully next year when the toads are adult they will keep the slugs at bay, Have read somewhere that toads always return to the place they where tadpoles to spawn so next year..who knows how many we'll get 

[star]

Good luck with the toad populus, I still must get my pond done before spring.......all I need is liner ::) ::)

[pjb]

we have a pond in the garden that we put frog spawn into, the frogs come back every year (the males are quite vocal) to spawn and we see the small frogs in the garden quite often, but the slug/snail population doesn't seem to deminish much if at all, nice to hear the frogs though  :)

[euronerd]

Frogs have been the single biggest help in reducing the number of slugs on my bit of England although they appear to have been struggling a bit this year. I had a tiny pond to start with but the following year there was so much spawn that I felt obliged to get a bigger one. All I need now are pigeon, rabbit, mole and mouse deterrents.  :-\

Geoff.

[lottiewood]

we've found a combination of..beer traps..(cheap cr*ppy smartprice)...organic slug pellets...and constant hulling has helped a bit.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

all your problems solved! As developed by my old colleagues at UWE The Slubot A robot that eats slugs.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1542588.stm

Project consultants those other famous Bristolian inventors Wallace and Gromit

They also have one that eats flies, but the smell is terrible. That one's called The Ecobot btw

[isbister]

If you have to resort to clearing them off your plants by hand, chopsticks are brilliant for picking them up.

[manicscousers]

" slugs come out to eat for 2 hours before sunrise and 2 hours after sunset ",
I don't think my slugs have heard about this, I find them at all hours when it's damp !!  ;D

[star]

Its because they dont wear watches ::).  ;D

Some of the eggs I found this year you would think they were toad spawn they are sooo big >:( :o

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

perhaps they forgot to put their clocks onto British Summer Slime

[star]

 ;D ;D ;D ::)

[cornykev]

My local club are saving beer slops for me so I will give the beer traps a go, idealy I would lay guttering the length and breath of the lottie and fill it with slops like a moat, well I can day dream can't I.  ;D ;D ;D