I've heard you can use a copper wire ring around the base of plants to stop these beasties attacking.
Has anyone done this, or had any experioence of the copper tape? Effective or not?
Any other good advise welcome...
Beer traps...what type of alco works best? One trap suffice of several? How much beer to put in?
All the unknown, but yet more novice questioning!! ???
The copper tape didn't work for me - I watched slugs crawl right over it but perhaps the rigid collars would be more successful. They ignored both my beer traps. They must prefer carrots over real ale methinks. Also spread coffee grounds all over the place but difficult to really assess if that has worked or not for me. Used a few organic slug pellets in the greenhouse but they got awful grey mould over them.
We use the whole spectrum attack...
Grit type granules..
blue ferro pellets
some copper around the hosta pots
nematodes..
and still some of the B*ggers get through, I swear they can abseil..
Beer traps we use yogurt pots... the big "natural" tubs are best but individual ones work too, leave a lip above the soil so good guys don't fall in. Use the cheapest beer you can find... trent bitter in 2L polypins was best.. fill the traps half full.. or they lean in and slurp! Be aware the traps stink after a week!
;D
Or you could go night-time slug hunting, with a torch, a suitably sharpened stick and a bucket of salty water, preferably just after some precipitation.
That as well but the size nine boot is better than the salt and stick!
;D
Used the copper tape last year. it did make a difference, but didn't stop them altogether.
I used 3 lots of the 3cm wide tape, producing a continuous barrier of 9cm, as I reckon the brave ones can 'run' across the 3 cm tape. This was on a low table, put the tape on the legs.
Also stood the table in buckets, sunk in to the ground, filled with water, but they still got through - unless someone was have a laugh !!
Didn't have too many problems though.
Not sure how effective the tape is after its been exposed to the elements for a while, as true copper will oxidise (turn green). However, the tape hasn't which means it ain't propper copper !
Didn't have much success with alco-traps, one every square foot or so. Also they filled up with rain.
Like 'em or loath 'em, the only true way to get rid on the Baaaaaaastards is pellets.
Hi! I also tried hair (I regularly cut my children's hair--my husband conspicuously disappears on haircut day ;D). In spite of having 3 kids, there is hardly enough to spread, so it all goes to our prized blueberry bush which is right in slug/snail country of our plot. No slug/snail damage there at all, but maybe they don't like blueberries? ??? :)
Coffee hasn't worked for us either.
I saw a thread about garlic spray: any luck with this method?!