Slugs

[Andy Hamilton]

right a few ideas on how to get rid of slugs

1. Build a pond and get frogs, toads and newts to eat them.
2. Put down egg shells around your plants.
3. Stick salt on them.

Any more suggestions.......

[Elderflower]

Hi Andy!
I find that the old beer trap works quite well - a shallow container of beer buried in the ground - a cm or two above the surface so that you don`t trap ground beetles. It traps and drowns loads. Trouble is, there`s loads left. Derek says that they probably come from miles around to sample his home brew! A funny thing - I was turning my compost a few weeks ago and found lots of dead slugs in it. Never seen that before. They`d obviously been killed by the heat. I wonder if frogs and birds like cooked slugs.

[diver]

hi, I'm new to this but I have lots and lots of slugs on my lottie....i want to put slug beer traps down but am frightened that the frogs will drown it them as I have just built a pond for the frogs and toads....do I just fill old yogurt cartons up to the top with beer (will any old beer do) and bury them and leave a bit sticking up so the beetles don't fall in..and somewhere it says about grapefruit halves...what do I do with them?, sorry to be so useless..

[Andy Hamilton]

Hi elderflower and Diver

Not heard about the grapefruit halves thing. As for beer traps use old pop bottles the smaller size. I have sucessfully used these. Have a butchers at http://www.selfsufficientish.com/pests.htm#slugs for a pic and some details on how to make one. Stale beer is reportedly the best.

Cooked slugs, er not sure if birds will eat them. Perhaps there is a recipe for eating them like with snails. Although I don't think I would want to try

[scarecrow]

I've found the best way to control slugs is to keep hens.

They can't get enough of the blighters!

[jennywren]

Lots of woodash. The little buggers hate it and it's good for your plants.

[Dave]

I tried the beer traps but ended up with loads of drunk snail corpses and felt a bit bad (a bit wet I know).
I've since used two ideas from the Centre of Alternative Technology, they recommend putting long thin bits of wood between your beds and the slugs hide underneath it, you then just pick them off and put them away from your crops.
The other method is decoy, plant nasturtiums aroud your crops and they act as a barrier and the slugs will go for them instead of your veg Or put a pile of comfrey leaves down near your plants as slugs prefer them and will leave your veg alone. You have to keep changing the leaves as they dry out quickly in the sun.

[FluffyMuppet]

I mostly use barriers - copper tape around pots and chopped down plastic bottles round seedlings until they're big enough to cope.

When I come across slugs I pick them up with my trowel ( ) and put them in the compost heap where they can chomp as much as they like without bothering me. But I do have a plastic 'dalek' with a well-fitting lid, so they can't escape.