Sorry to introduce a muderous topic but looking for best cheap/free organic ways of getting rid of our slimy lottie dwellers. I have a beer trap but don't drink beer and object to spending dosh buying it for the slugs to have a boozy night. Any suggestions what else I could put in it or any better ways?
I tried mixing some yeast with some sugar and water last weekend. Can't tell you about the results yet though :-\ I'm sure I read about the yeast on here somewhere.
Or you could ask for the contents of the drip trays from pubs if you are brave. Apparently bitter is better than lager!
Some other ideas on this thread too:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,8596.0.html
Somewhere, yesterday, I mentioned that I had downloaded the Which report - 10 pages!!
I'm not sure how well/or practical this would be on a lottie; but when I put out last year's bedding plants & they were getting well munched... I went out three nights in a row, armed with a torch and an old, empty, plastic ice-cream container.
Night 1 - box half-full (tossed slugs & snails into field next morning for the birds)
Night 2 - box 1/4 full (ditto). Much less munching evident.
Night 3 - Â barely any slugs to find.
Halted nocturnal wanderings for rest of season. The worst part was washing the slimy slug trail gunk off my hands.
do you think they spread the word Gadfium or maybe just too far to travel back! Good plan though. Only problem is my garden is surrounded by other gardens - would have to do it in dead of night so neighbours did not see slugs flying over their fences!!! ;)
I have tried that slug stoppa stuff but the bl**dy things crawl over it to get at my yummy plants!
I think somewhere I read you could put milk in the slug traps, but cor the pong after a few days would be awful!
I use cooked, crushed eggshells and coffee grounds around my plants, along with beer traps. (go to the local offie and buy the cheapest bitter I can find!) I swear though they can pole vault over the "sprinkles"!
I am afraid on my plot I use the chop em in half method! :-\
Hello, Newbie here. We are just coming up for our first anniversary on our plot and are about to start putting our first serious crops in.
The best thing I have found for slugs is something called Nemaslug. There is a website that sells it but I have never found it in garden centres. Just put the name into Google and you'll find it. It arrives in powder form which has to be watered in and is a parasite which only attacks slugs. We have used it in the garden for two years and it is brilliant - although not cheap.
Best thing about it is that it is organic and doesn't harm the birds who might eat infected slugs. Highly recommended.
Another problem with the throwing them over the fence method - snails have a homing instinct, so they will return, eventually!
I was thinking about nemaslug, but it's no good if you have clay soil. which I do.
My method works fairly well - it was drizzly yesterday, which brought all the slimers out. I went round with a plastic bag and collected over 200 and then found a brick and put the two together...
oh many people recommend grapefruit halves (but I don't eat grapefruit!)
And I also don't drink and object to having alcohol in the house (well - garden!) - so will have to try the yeast, sugar solution.
welcome B :)
googled & found it ~ bit expensive but i think i might invest in some.
happy anniversary ;D
I'm thinking of trying the "Weed Wand" that I got from Lidl today....
Wivvles, I got one too !
Torching 'em that's pure evil. ..................... but might be worth a go ......
I have read about crushing egg shells and putting the proceeds round plants - slugs do not like to cross this. Will have to try if they start munching on my lettuce!
That is okay for the biggies Aqui, but it is the little tiny black jobs that seem to do more damage and they lurk and you just don't see them! >:( >:( >:( >:(
Hi Justy,
When it comes to slugs I have no compasion, I have a one pint spray bottle filled with a strong salt solution which I spray on each one I see.
It is totally evil to watch them as they squirm around and disolve before your eyes.
I also search out places where they are likely to lay their eggs and and spray them with the solution, they also disolve.
PREMTAL ;D
Nice tip premtal never thought of making a salt solution
I found this idea on a website called http://www.gardenadvice.co.uk
It seems a little involved but hey if it works....
Black plastic bag method
If you have a slug attack in one area in your garden this is a quick method to reduce the numbers . Take one black bin liner place on the ground in between your tender plants, then place two lettuce in it which are well past their sale by date. Finally add two cups of breakfast bran and pour a cup full of beer (bitter is best) over the lettuce. Leave over night with the top open and check in the morning, the slugs should have climbed into the bag over night and as the sun raises in the morning taken shelter in the bottom of the bag, ready to be removed from your garden.
That sounds sensible Gillian. Will give it a go. Tried broken up eggshells and that didn't work. Tried dried yeast granules mixed with a bit of water and I caught loads of the little slugs with that so am trying that again. If you don;t like grapefruit Aqui try oranges.
My local landlord is saving me some real ale left over from his recent beer fest :)
Hi Northener,
sometimes saline close to the wind is the only option when creatures of the darkside invade your plot.
PREMTAL