Allotments 4 All

I've been throwing slugs and snails over the wall of my lottie into a graveyard, but I've just been told they're like homing pigeons and eventually make their way back!! are my lottie neighbours pulling my leg or is it true? my weans scream if i squash them!!

I've heard people say the same thing.  One way to check is to put a tiny dab of bright nail varnish on the snail shell before you lob 'em over.   ;D

G xx

now that would keep my boys busy while i got some work done!

Well look at the bright side they will take a few days to get back ;D

The RHS did tests, marking the shells and seeing what happened.  They did indeed come home to the juicy bit they knew best.   Just have to squish them or use the new ferrous sulphate pellets that only harm slugs and snails.

2 mile memory, Ma says.  She used to fill an old ice cream tub, go off to work and empty them over a field hedge or somesuch.

tel i think they'd be really hungry after a two day hike!!i went hunting through other threads and spotted one that said if you fed em oatmeal they'd swell up n burst. lots of pros and cons (how to keep oatmeal dry etc) so on Saturday I'm gonny gather them up and put them in an enclosed bucket with a big pile of porridge oats and wait n see!!!  the weans will think I'm a super mum for keeping wee pets for them!! I'll let you all know what happens. I'm working over the next few nights, someone may beat me to it , if so please post and let us know if you got fat slugs and snails or a big load of gunge!!revenge is sweet. da...da...da...da...da...I'm loving it!!

As i understand it, the oatmeal or bran swells them to the point of immobility leaving them easy to spot and remove the next morning - but don't leave them too long as after one good poo they can move again and hide.

Quote from: Obbelix on April 21, 2006, 08:29:14
As i understand it, the oatmeal or bran swells them to the point of immobility leaving them easy to spot and remove the next morning - but don't leave them too long as after one good poo they can move again and hide.

that got me giggling...

Quote from: bennettsleg
that got me giggling...
/quote]

Me too  ;D

;D

The number of slugs on my plot means that if they all had a poo I could fill a compost bin...hmmmm, now there's an idea!!

;D

Don't throw them over the fence or onto some other poor so-&-so's patch either! Throw them into a jar of milk or beer, put the lid on and leave it overnight. Discard the drowned slugs where birds can get at them. Magpies seem particularly fond of this delicacy, which could be good news for fledglings of other birds!

went up the plot and made my mini pet shop with the boys!! four wee slugs in a big bucket , a  pile of oatmeal and a bit of glass for a  lid. (there is no escape) canny wait to see if they have a party or explode.

If I remember correctly, they leave slime trails with some sort of pheremone-y scent that lets them find their way home. They're definitely homing beasties. :(

Melanie

Sweet peas at home were being ravaged, put down loads of pellets and lo! Behold 20 dead snails! Hurrah! Never felt so good about killing in my life... may become a habit.   ;D

no explosions, just fat happy well fed slugs!! (at least they were before i jumped on them)

Haven't heard of ferrous sulphate pellets, where can you get them from?