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Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: silly billy on February 09, 2007, 13:02:26

Title: Beer Traps
Post by: silly billy on February 09, 2007, 13:02:26
I have never used them but I'm considering giving them a go.How effective are they? Do you think its nicer for the slugs to drown or be poisoned by pellets? I feel abit cruel drowning them. Can they go on the compost heap after death?
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: cornykev on February 09, 2007, 14:47:46
Nice and slugs just don't go together Billy, drown em, poison em, hang em, burn em, nuke em, strangle em, shoot em, spear em, stamp on em, spit on em, garrote em, feed em to the frogs feed em to the birds the slimy little shits. >:( >:( >:( ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: theothermarg on February 09, 2007, 14:49:49
thats a not fond of them then
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
margaret

Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: lorna on February 09, 2007, 15:03:35
theothermarg    You took the words right out of my mouth ;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: manicscousers on February 09, 2007, 15:34:35
ditto in spades  ;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: Georgie on February 09, 2007, 15:51:52
They have been effective when I've used them.  I used old plastic cups buried in the soil with about 1 cm of the lip standing proud of the soil so that beneficial insects such as beetles don't fall in.  I throw the dead slugs in the dustbin but I suppose you could put them on the compost heap.

G x
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: dirtyfingernails on February 09, 2007, 15:53:07
I bashed one with a hammer last week - was replacing the felt on my shed root and spotted on and couldn't stop myself! (did feel a bit bad though, and it's made a horrible smear on my shed) >:(
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: manicscousers on February 09, 2007, 16:13:49
we use the bottoms of the bottles we put next to toms, squash etc for watering, if you've got no beer, I've been told milk or sugary water..don't fancy the milk, I can't stand sour milk  ;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: cleo on February 09, 2007, 16:17:47
Yes they work but do please take note what Georgie says-beer traps can kill beneficial insects if not placed properly
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: cornykev on February 09, 2007, 16:18:57
I have two as pets.   ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: kitten on February 09, 2007, 18:01:03
Quote from: manicscousers on February 09, 2007, 16:13:49
if you've got no beer

Blimey manics, let's hope nobody is in this predicament  :'( ;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: okra on February 09, 2007, 19:00:00
I have used them and they were very effective, I bought the cheapest bitter available in Morrisons
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: manicscousers on February 09, 2007, 19:58:45
try aldi's 88p for 4.. ;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: legendaryone on February 10, 2007, 09:56:14
We don't have beer will wine do ?
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: cornykev on February 10, 2007, 13:04:05
No beer legend, I will pray for you tonight. ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: manicscousers on February 10, 2007, 13:26:25
ck, like your beer, then ?   ;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: legendaryone on February 10, 2007, 13:42:44
Quote from: cornykev on February 10, 2007, 13:04:05
No beer legend, I will pray for you tonight. ;D ;D ;D

No need to pray cornykev i don't drink at all, but i do make wine for the OH   :)
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: lorna on February 10, 2007, 14:31:08
No beer or wine here only brandy and I just ain't sharing that ;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: telboy on February 10, 2007, 16:38:16
----No need to pray cornykev i don't drink at all-----

Oh! you poor thing!
:'( :'(
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: saddad on February 10, 2007, 17:03:27
It really should be the cheapest beer you can find... slops if you know a friendly landlord... cans of Trent Bitter were excellent. But any thing in a polypin should do it. Remember to empty them regularly as the decomposing slugs don't half niff!
;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: Marymary on February 10, 2007, 22:50:40
After seeing a beer trap being emptied on Grow Your Own last night I think I will give them a miss - really made me feel ill & I'm not usually squeamish.  :)
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: kt. on February 10, 2007, 23:43:08
Never seen or heard of them till last night. Gonna put some in this year. How many do you use and where is best cos slugs are everywhere..... Dont want to waste too much beer if you know what i mean ;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: MrsKP on February 11, 2007, 07:02:39
i put traps out regularly and just as regularly forget to look in them !

i currently have 12 stacked in the shed (traps that is, not slugs).

tell me why we don't just sling them in the compost bin to munch their way through there ?  is it just cos we hate slugs so much that death brings out our bad sides ?  8)
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: cornykev on February 11, 2007, 09:40:27
Nice idea Saddad with the slops, I will have to go on a pub crawl today, just for surveying reasons you understand. No way them slugs are drinking my stella. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: saddad on February 11, 2007, 10:21:26
and it gives you an excuse to be in the pub at closing time... assuming they do "close" nowadays... they usually measure the slops before chucking them, something to do with the excise duty...
;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: cornykev on February 11, 2007, 12:43:09
Chucking them yer right, they top up the pints of the most drunken customers, that gets rid of the slops, take a few pints for themselves count them as the slops ,job done. :o :o ;D ;D :-X
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: John_H on February 11, 2007, 15:21:34
I tried beer traps for a while - using short bits of drain pipe sunk into the soil to put the base of the cups in. I did get some slugs but it was a bit of a chore, cleaning the cups and getting rid of the slime.

My problem with this method was that the beer acts as an attractant to the slugs, so I figured that as well as killing the slugs in very close proximity, it would also encourage a fresh bunch in from nextdoor plots.

I'm using more vengeful methods now - I have removed the planks which I used to use to prop up the sides of my raised beds and I leave them on the ground next to each bed (which creates temporary daytime refuges for slugs, slow worms, ground beetles etc) and I turn these over each time I visit the plot. I let the ground beetles and the slow worms carry on doing their own thing and just single out the slugs for a quick death with a small pair of scissors!
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: cornykev on February 12, 2007, 16:06:14
That's pure evil :o John, I can see that we are going to get on.    ;D ;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: MrsKP on February 12, 2007, 17:37:30
I must admit to having taken a pair of scissors to one before.  I nearly threw up and haven't repeated it since.  Salt is equally not for the squeamish !

:-X
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: saddad on February 12, 2007, 18:01:42
I just use the boot and a hard place method. A walk with a torch after dark on a warm June evening is ideal.... once got over 500 slugs and snails... it did take about two hours!
;D
Title: Re: Beer Traps
Post by: Marymary on February 12, 2007, 20:18:35
I usually feed them to my chickens but even they turn their beaks up at the big orange ones!