Allotments 4 All

£20 to protect a 4 ft by 4 ft bed from slugs seems a little over the top to me.

http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/HarrodSite/product/We_Recommend/GPC-386.htm?emailcode=ECODE200&utm_source=ECODE200&utm_medium=email

For that sort of money you could encase the bed with enviromesh  (I mean underneath as well as above) and have about £15 left over

Quote from: Barnowl on April 02, 2009, 08:56:14
[£20 to protect a 4 ft by 4 ft bed from slugs seems a little over the top to me. ]

http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/HarrodSite/product/We_Recommend/GPC-386.htm?emailcode=ECODE200&utm_source=ECODE200&utm_medium=email

And me 500g mini blue slug pellets at Wilco £1.89.

Treats 200 sq mtrs that seems a better deal ;D ;D ;D


kes

one of the other pot holders has come up with a great idea he has obtained some copper wire with the plastc outer core removed  in 4 ft lenghts has joined these to go around the top of the raised beds three times creating a copper barrier he says he has done this for the last couple of years with great success mmm might look at this this year and give it a go myself

Hi Dialeg,

Doesn't that also keep in the slugs that are already in your soil in the raised beds?

I've used copper tape (from Agralan) up to now. After taping or wiring you have to clear the bed of slugs. I use  blue slug pellets and cover the bed so the birds can't get at the pellets or the slugs that die. After that you just have to hope new ones find it too hard to burrow their way in.

I've been give a coil of that old draught excluder metal banding.  Suspect it's nearer brass than copper but I'm going to try it instead of buying more of the tape which is rather pricy.

the ones under the soil damage the spuds, nasty little beggars  :(

I recently found out that alumnium foil works just as well as copper, and well its far cheaper.
Any conductive sheet of metal will do. Not really as posh looking but well if its down the plot and it keeps the slimey gits away then not bothered about the 1970 sci fi look.

x sunloving

Looking at the picture btought to mind a cheaper method.
I have my strawberries in baths they are the only what i suppose is the only raised bed i have so to keep the slugs out i smear grease under the rim of the bath so it does not get washed off the slugs that try to cross it just get glogged up in it.
For people that have raised bed you could use old guttering screwed onto the top inside coming overthe top of the wood, or outside of the wood upside down and smear the underside with vasaline or grease.
Does that make sense.

Interesting idea

Quote from: manicscousers on April 02, 2009, 18:34:35
the ones under the soil damage the spuds, nasty little beggars  :(

have you tried nemaslug? Kills them under ground, I use just on my potato patch.

Quote from: reddyreddy on April 14, 2009, 17:38:03

Quote from: manicscousers on April 02, 2009, 18:34:35
the ones under the soil damage the spuds, nasty little beggars  :(

have you tried nemaslug? Kills them under ground, I use just on my potato patch.

I have used nemaslug and it does work for slugs esp if you can convince your nearby plots to use it.  It only lasts 6 weeks at most though and therefore needs several applications over the growing season so it can be a bit pricy.