7 Ways to Deal With Slugs
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มิ.ย. 2024
- (Warning: This video contains footage of killing slugs, with warnings for the sections that really squeamish people might want to avoid!)
Slugs are a major pest in vegetable gardens, especially in damp climates like Ireland. A range of different methods can be used in order to prevent them from doing too much damage to the crops, and these are the ones that I tend to rely on in the RED Gardens.
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I have been searching for hours about slug control and you are the only one who comprehensively explained everything. Thank you. Slugs are killing my sunflowers :(
Great video, I do the night hunting thing but can't bring myself to chop them with scissors, so lob them into my neighbours chicken and duck pens instead which causes a riot as the birds do a far more gruesome job than the scissors fighting over the meat!!
Feeding them to the ducks or hens is a great way to 'upcycle' the slugs!
Let the ducks in
#6 "Give them a home".
This method should always be included as it works as a gauge to assess the magnitude of the current slug problem and an indication of species involved.
Good work done with this video BTW 😎
As some others have said before, as an alternative to using beer you could do a very basic fermentation of water, sugar and yeast or maybe even substitute the sugar with some garden waste that is high in glucose so the yeast can eat. As opposed to spot traps you could get a large PVC pipe, cut it in half and run it down the middle of your crops (perpendicular to what appear to be your bedding rows) and fill it with the sugar yeast solution and flush it out once a month or so
Hedgehogs have got brilliant memories. They even remember through hibernation! I feed them sunflower hearts and mealworms in the same place every night. I have about 6 hedgehogs now and last year they bought their babies to the feed bowls too.....
Interesting about their memories.
Good for you......drives me crazy that people put out slugs bait which kills the hedgehogs which are the very animal that controls the slugs and snails.
You made a very clear useful informative documentary about how to prevent vegetation from slugs. Your work changes the way I treats my small garden in Cambodia. Thanks you
Needing a lot of beer is a problem I have myself - and I don't even have a slug problem.
Lol! Craft beer?
The struggle is real
Don't pay for beer. They just like the yeast from it. Buy bulk cheap instant bread yeast and mix with sugar. Use that in combination with coffee grounds for the win
So since you drink more, you don't find slugs inside your shirt or trousers?
Hilarious!
I watched this video last year when I first took on an allotment. I didnt think I could see myself killing slugs, I just relocated them. One year on and the damage this year is so frustrating. I hunt them down daily and have a bucket of water to throw them in and put the lid on. I empty that into my compost pile weekly.
It is better to dump them in the toilet.
So sorry slugs suck
It’s three years on, are you sitting up all night at the lotty with a machine gun yet? 😂
An opossum mom and her three kids moved to my garden but before I noticed that I was surprised not seeing anymore slugs and snails recently … now I know why 😆!
O, so cute!
Yeast dissolved in warm water works as well as beer, for a fraction of cash.
Good idea, I'll have to try it.
@@REDGardens I use beer from a supermarket which is 99 pence (UK) for 4 large cans. Horrid bitter but very effective against slugs. I tried the yeast but it didn't work for me.
RED Gardens the alcohol in the beer keeps the yeast from going old and moldy. I have tried using yeast only and after a week it starts to get real nasty. Black mold
@@adronlamb9334 After only 3 or 4 days, the yoghurt size pots are full of slugs and need emptying and refilling with fresh slug candy. Never seen mold. Not enough time. Best of luck.
Fresh or dried yeast?
Really enjoyed this video. Thank you
Wow, I find this video so satisfying !
I used a frog one year that got trapped in the garden when I placed fencing around it and it worked pretty good with the slugs the frog got big at the end of the season
I would like to have a few frogs around.
@@REDGardens dig a pond.
Do the frogs eat your plants?
@@rebeccalankford2652 nop it ate the slugs
@@peterbattiste9213 Frogs eat vegetation too
Very informative, thank you!
Thanks for the multiple ideas. Will try few of them in my garden. Loved hearing your interesting accent.
Hope they work for you.
Great info, well presented with a smart, wide-awake perspective.
Glad you enjoyed it!
A primo slug trap is a half a cantaloupe that one has eaten the contents of. :)
i have heard melons are great.
How can someone dislike this video?
Slug lovers
PETA
I’ve never heard better advice for slugs. Thanks! 👍 👍
Glad you found it useful!
Thanks for the tip and you have a very nice looking garden
Thanks, good stuff. Another possible addition to the armoury is a natural semi sheltered shallow pond which will attract frogs, an effective slug predator. Frogs also like the sheltered damp places frequented by slugs. You can chuck the slugs into the pond too - food for some small basic goldfish if you have them too. Hedgehogs can travel several km each night & they tend to have a regular route, or run, so although you don't see them every day/night they could still be helping out..
I need to build a few ponds up in the garden area. Hopefully then the frogs will come.
I have now set up permanent homes for slugs, similar to your no.6, and have found it to be very effective: all my beds are sloped such that I can run thick planks of wood all along the back. As soon as there is something the slugs like growing in the bed, they congregate behind the nearest board, often dozens at a time. It's simple to pull the board out and snip their heads off. There are other advantages too: centipedes and beetles take up residence there, sometimes even frogs. Plus new slug arrivals eat the corpses instead of the plants, until my next sweep. I make sure I check the planks after a heavy rain, that's when they all move in.
It is a great method, and I have also noticed a diversity of other creatures taking up residence under the boards. It is also interesting how slugs will eat off the corpses of the dead ones, I figure they are eating the remains of the stomach contents.
One of the best presented videos regardless to the interesting topic
Your farm looks incredible btw💚.
you are so cute!!! I love your different approaches, and NOT giving up!!! thanks for the great info :)
Thanks!
Thanks for making this video. I have some responses you might find useful:
- Be careful with ducks, because they're curious and will peck everything just to try it. If they peck a legume stem, they've destroyed the whole plant.
- Don't use beer-buy bread yeast in bulk and mix with sugar, then add to warm water to activate. It's the yeast and sugar they like-try it and see. I promise!
- If you choose to use slug traps, put them at a set number of paces apart so you can easily track them under foliage
- Use coffee grounds on the soil surface around expensive plants like Kale-slugs absolutely hate coffee.
- And lastly, some of your potato damage might be wireworm. I found that maris piper was particularly bad for it (and slugs) I really recommend Charlotte for your second earlies (if only for yourself, because they're delicious), because wireworm don't seem so interested. If you ever have trouble with wireworm, give me a shout.
Thanks for the vid and keep going!!
Thanks for the suggestions/feedback. I had heard that about slugs, and would be hesitant to let them into the gardens, but with some crops it would be fine. I'll have to try the yeast trick, and I agree completely about the need to be careful with the locations of beet traps, as I have lost them before int he foliage, and they are nice to discover later on! I don't think it was wireworm. I have seen a bit of that kind of damage, but not much of it.
HI Daniel , I've never grown any veg before and I'm going to try this year . I only have a small yard and it will all be grown in bags for growing . I want to do post and carrots etc . Do you have any recommendations please . Thankyou .
Your videos are always so interesting.
:)
you are good at making captivating videos.
Thanks.
I make toad houses , lots of toad houses .Also, collect toads and put them where needed. They feed at night too.
❤🇨🇦☕☕
This is my first year growing veg and really my first year taking the garden very serious so I’ve had a lot to learn and pretty much a war with slugs lol as I refused to use poison pellets. I have a small garden so a lot of container growing one method I have found to be effective was putting a ring of salt round and under the containers this method needs reapplied after rain etc but I found it to really block the slugs granted I combined it with beer traps and night hunts.
I imagine the salt ring would work, but as you mention, several strategies are often needed. Hope you have lots of success with your growing.
OK, I am going to try the beer, the scissors, and the wooden board, yes, these slugs are getting to me now. I am not hesitant to get rid of them anymore. Thanks so much for your 7 tips.
Hope it works for you.
These are all great! I will try some. I have a large garden but not close to the size of yours. I have been sprinkling salt around my plants and they have helped some. Actually they helped a lot
Very interesting. We recently found a creative solution for a single slug from our garden... not really helpful if you have more than 1 to deal with...but nonetheless my daughter who has a pet frog & the slug is its new terrarium mate & they seem quite happy together. 💚
Everyone who has a garden can only dream of only having a single slug to deal with.
Great video I think the list videos do really well on youtube and this ones great. You have however put me off potatoes for life! :)) ;P
The list videos seem to do really well, though I generally avoid them as there seems to be too many out there. Lol, sorry about the potato thing!
Great video. Thanks for the useful tips 👍
This is excellent. Thank you so much . I ready to tackle them now.
Glad it was helpful!
You missed the Big One. BUILD A POND This will attract Frogs and toads that will eat 100-plus slugs per evening
I have heard that was an effective approach, but only talked about things I have tried and worked.
@@REDGardens biochar on the suface! slugs dislike a little, maybe becouse sharp. with a good fire place solution(close oxigin from embers) you can make large quantities of heat and biochar, put on surface of no-dig.
My plan toady is i put in a largish plastic recycling bin in the ground for that same reason .just need to find a solar bubbler and goldfish. I'm hopping to find some local fogs or toads as they are illegal to buy and just release them into the environment (makes sense)
I
It hasn't worked at all of me.
@@REDGardens - I can vouch for a pond to keep slug populations down. Just make sure there is an escape slope on one side so hedgehogs do not drown in it.
P.S you forgot number 8. Lobbing them in the neighbours garden when no ones looking.
I used to do that, but I like all of my neighbours!
straight into the next dors garden.....there cats shite in my yard all the time
@@DjGlenJon Fair trade, I suppose ;)
Haha do you do that too? Only my least favorite neighbor 😂 her dog used to jump over her 1ft wall to crap in the backyard (she had been trying to make her yard look like it was bigger by having no boundary and assuming my land), so fair’s fair lol.
She had to put a fence up when I produced an eyesore, that’s after she butchered two of my hedges that were decades old and beautifully trimmed.
I really enjoy your videos.. Thanks for sharing your experience :)
Glad you like them!
Thank you for your tip...having problems with slugs and mole and squirrels on my garden now
Tip six is the best I’ve done slug cleanups a few times in last twenty years tip six is best and fastest here in UK, with tip six it only takes a few minutes every day or other day
I agree. It is the best and only takes a few minutes a day - but only if I remember to do it.
*EVERY* gardener I've talked to in my farming area all use the same thing, Diatomaceous earth.
They said it slices them open as they crawl across it on the dirt and they just decompose.
It's totally natural and completely safe as it's just crushed shells, the shards are too small to hurt us, animals ... it just hurts creepy crawlies in the garden and has the added benefit of being good for your garden.
ALBERTA GIRL Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade. The other is pool grade and is highly toxic.
DE is useless when it gets wet, though.
I have killed over 1900 slugs this summer at night with a torch and my fishing knife and they keep coming. Cutting the surrounding grass down low helps and I have in the past used 2 wires close together with a battery around raised beds and greenhouses and that has been the best repellent I have tried so far.
I have two allotments in north- east Scotland but don't have a big slug problem.
I don't like killing things so I feed any slugs I see to my hens.
I have also read that using scattered used coffee grounds act as a deterrent. I realise that this is not feasible on a bug scale such as the Red Gardens.
This video is , as always, very helpful and informative. Thanks Bruce.
I used to have a source of coffee grounds, but wasn't convinced about the effectiveness of its a slug barrier.
Good advice, thanks. Do you know that you can use yeast and sugar instead of beer? Cheers
Thanks. I had heard about the yeast option, but haven't tried it.
What type of yeast would you use?
Have you considered introducing lots of frogs into your garden? I do this and it is very effective.
Easy to install a small pond.
Ducks is also what I've seen as being very popular. Also far nicer on your psyche than murdering them, and they provide eggs and meat should you so choose to eat those!
@@VACatholic Wait, if murdering slugs effects you psyche, then surely murdering ducks would be far more damaging?
@@chrisoliver6690 😂
@@chrisoliver6690 Honestly that's probably my neurosis talking. I just find slugs ugly and disgusting and being around them and murdering them just gross. Whereas duck I know how I treated it and it's being done for more of a purpose than just murder.
I realize that's a rationalization and not normal, but here we are.
I take the criticism, and can't really explain why I feel that way. Funny joke though!
Amazing video that's great encouragement thanks a bunch!👨🌾👩🌾
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for sharing!
When you have a small garden, I recommend using mashed eggshell or mashed seashell. Just sprinkle it on the ground. They cut themselves on sharp edges and they do not like it. Btw, it is a very easy and cheap metod.
Also, some flowers repel insects and slugs. Mostly fragrant flowers. I have some lavenders and it works quite wel. You can easily multiply them.
This is an old wives tale - they can move over broken glass and are not affected in any way
@@Steampunksaly would surprise me, especially when you say over broken glass
@@blanckieification They will happily move over glass, gravel, sand, egg shells, coffee, even electric fencing.
@@blanckieification I have seen them moving above a razor blade so happy, even fine steel brushes that are really sharp, just the lime protects them from cutting. I just spent like 3 hours reading and watching videos and I think the best solutions are traps with yeast and sugar or two copper bands connected to a 9V battery, they get a shock which prevents them trespassing the 2nd band. Maybe if you manage to keep it dry, a mix of salt and coffee around the plants helps too
lay wood chips everywhere you can around your gardens. It makes a great home for ground beetles which eat slug eggs but not crops. The very dry wood chips on top and uneven terrain makes it tougher for slugs to move. The woodchips settle and compact and the slugs dont actually live in the woodchips.
I have started to use wood chips in some of my growing spaces, and it will be interesting to see if they make a difference.
We found a good way to use slug pellets without causing a hazard to wildlife .used old butter containers with slots cut in the side and an elastic band to keep the lid on .Slug pellets are a bait so the slugs crawl in through the slots eat the pellets and die inside the tubs .It worked really well.
good video and lots of ways to get rid of slugs i was clearing over 100 a day now i use beer and there are a lot less to clear now
I have a small no-till hobby garden here in Iceland and have occasionally had slug problems. Not like yours, as the winters here are long enough to keep them down a bit (5 and half month growing season). I am also fortunate that I have a good population of predatory ground beetles which has been a real blessing (maybe your idea of laying down boards, killing the slugs, and leaving their remains in place might work to attract those beetles into your garden over time ???).
Last winter I decided to try a thicker cover of old hay on top of a layer of compost. The hay layer was about 20 to 30 cm thick when I put it down and settled to about 10 to 15cm by planting time. This helps my worm population survive better as they are able to stay closer to the surface and closer to the compost layer that they feed on due to the hay insulating the soil against the cold. I have done thinner layers in the past and noticed then that the slugs' eggs would generally be between the soil and the hay. Last year with the thicker layer of hay, I found fewer eggs between the soil layer and the hay, and found fewer eggs overall, and most of those in the hay. With both the thinner and thicker layer method, when the snow finally melts I remove the hay and compost it. This allows sunlight to warm the soil again, though at this point it is still too cold to plant as there will generally be a few frosts after the initial thaw. Also, when the soil is newly exposed the birds come in and remove virtually all of the slug eggs remaining. Any eggs I do find, I simply spread out on top of the soil to attract the birds.
...note*...; Although birds can be a nuisance when the seedlings go in the ground as they tend to uproot a few with their scratching through the soil, I find that the garden still produces such an abundance that I can tolerate some plant loss.
As to slugs in compost; Just hypothesising , but I believe the slugs only really survive close to the surface of the compost. The ones that get buried deeper simply die and become compost. When one scrapes off the surface layer of the finished compost and uses it to start the next batch, the overwhelming majority of the slugs end up in the new heap, only to be buried under the raw material added throughout the summer, or eaten by birds as they scratch through the new compost.
Anyway, this seems to work in the Icelandic climate with a no-till garden. I don't know if anything I spoke of here is usable or adaptable to another climate, but I thought I'd mention it just in case.
Thank you for your videos. I will continue to watch them and learn as I follow your progress.
Yeah, my first idea was that slugs buried in the compost just die. Maybe they also get sick. IDK, slugs love cool and humid places but they eat fresh vegetables, I don’t see how they can survive on rotting plants.
Thanks for sharing your hay technique. I’ll see if I can adapt it to my garden.
That use of hay to protect the soil life and then to collect it and remove the slugs in the process, sounds like a great idea. I think it might work here in Ireland, so long as I removed it in time for the soil to warm up, and the birds to peck at what remains. Your thoughts about the slugs only existing in the top layer of the compost pile makes sense.
I use all the same methods as you, except the beer traps as I don't have space for them in my beds. I do however do a few things you don't:
I never distribute complete heads of cauliflower, lettuce or calabrese, instead I always break them up and wash them first. My family prefers this as they get a big mix of different veggies for each meal, rather than being overwhelmed by one. Occasionally by special request I will do a single container of one type of veg for specific receipes. I also pre-wash all of my salads.
I use nematodes on the leafy green beds, in April, July and September. I find they are only useful when I'm treating a relatively empty bed, so that I can get the nematodes deep into the soil. Since I rarely have all of my beds clear at the same time I split a nematode box and save some of them in the fridge.
I also use slug pellets under a short piece of inverted gutter, this keeps them dry, I only use these in beds that have nets, so the birds/hedgehogs can't get to the dead slugs. I only use this technique in beds that have a lot of slugs, typically when I've cleared spinach or lettuce. I also throw a few slug pellets in the gap between my polytunnel wall and the raised beds I have in mine.
Using these and your list of six techniques I have very few losses and in the thousands of salads I've eaten I've only - knowingly - had one slug in my mouth, but I noticed it straight away and it was soon in 'heaven'.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, and interesting to hear about how you use nematodes and slug pellets.
Very useful thank you. I have been lucky this year but I am preparing for next seasons :)
Thanks, will try the give them a home method!
It works well for me. Hope it works for you.
I go out with a bright flashlight 15 minutes per night early in the season, and catch enough to keep the population down all year
I've been doing that, on the 3rd night I didn't find many. Gave it a rest for a few nights and they were back again in full force. It's a constant battle for me as well so I think 15 mins every other night is about what I can maintain.
Frogs, toads. I hardly see them in my gardens.
I never see them in my garden. Wish I have some to get rid slugs & pests in my garden
@@ginamango5 frogs like to live in dark enclosed bushy areas so if you’re garden is in all day sunlight they are unlikely to hang around
Great info. What a helpful and Nice fella .
:)
Great video man, keep it up
Thanks!
Just sprinkle table salt around the edge of your garden or around the wet covered areas. Salt is an instant slug kilker and is harmless to the garden when sprinkled away from plants.
We have the same methods use yes salt is very easy and effective. Try watch it th-cam.com/video/ja2iIsD0oUA/w-d-xo.html
Every morning at 4 am to 5 am Slogs roaming around
I just put SALT into top their back and in second dead
That’s pretty sick
It is sick and also dangerous for the birds and animals that eat them
Wow you have an enormous garden ! I have just begun trying the raspberry canes, still waiting to see the results.
I think I will buy some cheap beer to seek any extra ones I've missed.
excellent content . thank you sir
Was that a new composting setup? If so, will we get a video on it?
It is an new setup, that I am still experimenting with, but plan to make a video later int he season.
@@REDGardensthanks again for the response.
I'd rather drink the beer myself too, thanks.
Yep!
Helpful. Thank you👍
You have a great looking garden..will definitely try some of these tips...I use thick layer of grated orange/lemon/lime peel for individual plants..seems to work.
That sounds like an interesting option.
I'm trying to establish a stable population of tiger slugs. They eat other slugs' eggs and also hunt other slugs actively.
It's said they would not eat living plants at all which I cannot sign; they love small radishes for example (only the top of the root that sticks out of the ground) and mushrooms, also they damage other plants a little bit but do not cause any problems that way. Definitely way less than the Spanish slugs.
I have been keeping my eye out for the type of predator slug, but don't seem to eb around here.
I collect all the slugs and snails to release them in the forest. There's no need to kill them cuz these bugs do benefit the environment.
@ LaoSoftware - Slugs and snails do not benefit anything, they wreak havoc please - saying they benefit the environment is pure sentimentalism.
Onamission Passionista they are food to many animals
Timely! The current wet here, after the heat wave will no doubt bring out the slugs again. Over the few tears I have been hhere, I have gone through the same stages pretty much.
Thanks for the reminders and the great video.
Thanks. I am just looking out at a lot of rain here, so much double down on the slug patrol again.
The catch crop of pointed cabbage which was hiding under the purple sprouting and Brussels sprouts was infested with slugs when I harvested some yesterday. But being philosophical, at least they left the other brassicas alone.
I can get replacement plug plants at 10p each from our local commercial plant grower. For the quantities of brassicas we need, it makes far more sense.
Waiting for you to do a video on moles. If you don't have any, I can send you some.
Another victim of the heat, the Florence fennel bolted. Last year, the cut off roots re-sprouted and we ended up having at least three harvests. Not sure if the bolting will affect that.
Best TH-cam channel ever
Woah! Thanks!
Ever though of doing voice over work?
No, I haven't. It doesn't come easy to me.
RED Gardens I too ,love your voice , it’s clear calming to the point and great information . Thank you
I take slug hunting to the next level and pack a bug-assualt gun that shoots salt it's made for shooting flys it's awesome lol
excellent video
Excellent video
Thanks
The most effective method I found against slugs is store bought iron phosphate (called Slug-B-Gone) where I live. I'm curious what is RED Gardens opinion is on this method?
I use these too rather than the metaldhyde pellets and find them effective.
I have used these types of pellets before, but didn't really evaluate the impact enough to be able to say how well they worked. I guess I just don't like buying them in, as I have a few other more active methods for dealing whiten them. Also, as the gardens are very open and publicly accessible, I had a few comments from people that they were surprised that I was using poison! Hard to tell that they are not the more poisonous pellets when they are on the soil. I shoud experiment with them some more to see how well they work.
He has a lot of space, he should just get ducks! They'll eat all the slugs :)
Or hedgehogs, they are endangered species now so need a safe area and don't eat your plants.
But the ducks and hedgehogs will do more damage to the crops than any slugs would do
My son LOVES it!
Super helpful video. Do you have any suggestions agains aphids in a small garden?
A pond for frogs maybe?
I very much agree, frogs are great to have in the garden, they eat an incredible amount of slugs, and it feels good to be providing habitat for them.
@@athaclanor I tried last year but of course we had the drought so it didn't work out. :/
I need to find a way to have permanent bodies of water around, it is quite dry up on that hill.
Have you considered a bird house? XDD
We have loads of birds around already.
Funny you mentioned the beer method. Beer can also be used to eliminate roaches and mice. A study at Cornell University shows that mice show a distinct preference for imports, especially Michelob, as opposed to domestics. Your video is well done and informative, thank you for sharing.
I hadn't heard that about mice and rats.
Aww man ..I'm Mexican the only import for me is coronas!!!
Wonder what would happen if you leave a shot of tequila for the to drink .. lmao
Brutal tips
Let a flock of ducks roam in the garden.
Diatomaceous earth. Boom.
100%
Washes away too.fast here...slugo extra if u have to...i got snails and rolly polly out the kazoo...each day i collect.2 gallons worth im PUSHING 80 and i.can only bend down so much...other wise i could get 4.gallons a day..
Thanks for sharing
5:26 The best method I assume. I will deffo try this.
You need ducks, chickens would damage crops to much.
Chickens can definitely damage a lot of crops, but I have been advised that ducks can do a fair amount of damage too. Do you find that ducks leave most crops alone?
@@REDGardens Ducks do leave most crops alone but don't really care where they trample though, most people use a double fence system to keep them off weaker bodied crops and fruit bushes because of this.
Something to keep in mind though is their manure is a quite powerful NPK fertilizer and is soft almost liquid, so after a rainfall it can throw your levels for a spin if you aren't careful and can outright kill crops if left in one space for extended periods of the year, but obviously there are ways to take advantage of this by rotating which beds they are occupying; Great pest control and fertility boosters.
@@Reodhadh Good to know about their manure. Thanks.
Another great video, I set my first beer traps yesterday. Let's hope the slugs are thirsty!
Did you get any?
@@REDGardens I did, about 1/2 a dozen. Not sure if it was worth wasting the beer for!
Thank you for the slug weather chart
Great video I used to go out night hunting with a torch and catapult so the slugs when caught I used to catapult them gardens away from mine but they if they are the same ones found there way back and this went on for some time until my garden was circled around the borders with slug pellets which helped imensly then one year digging my garden found a few slugs in the soil so then I stopped the gardening just kept it clean and tidy and a sprinkling of pellets. You could say the slugs won, but there are millions of them out there in eggs form just waiting to pounce on gardens.
I shit u not 30 minutes ago I was thinking "huh I havent seen anything from red gardens in a while...". Good shit dude.
Lol, thanks.
Great video
:)
You are very merciful. I will drop ever single slug I find into salt water or my fire pit. I find a sprinkle of salt over my lettuce works marvellously, and it doesn’t hurt the plants as they can handle such small amounts of salt very well.
Patrick over at one yard revolution (in Illinois) credits his decrease in slug population to wood chips which have made a nice home and increased the population of ground beetles which pray on slugs
That is interesting.
How would I get rid of the beetles then?
Yeah bloody things .urrrg I'd be put of eating mushrooms cooked for life if I accidentally cooked one and discovered it on my plate a slug that is .
Thanks for your ideas nice and straightforward. Looks a lovely market garden you've got there .
I've subscribed so look forward to more subjects .good luck
I've been thinking about making a small, shaded pond from a concrete mixing tub to encourage frogs and toads to hang out in my vegetable garden. A solar bubbler and some goldfish should keep it healthy. The slugs and various caterpillars that our hopping friends eat are probably the most damaging pests I have, (other than the groundhog who always gets the lowest hanging tomatoes.) Plus, seeing frogs and toads always makes me happy!
I have also been thinking of how I can make a few permanent wetland type areas around the gardens. Yeah, seeing frogs around is great!
I have a pond and a few frogs live there - the population of slugs and snails in my garden did not become less. Love frogs as well
Thanks! This year I harvested 100s of strawberries, but the same amount got nibled by slugs. My lettuce were gone 4 days after planting them. Going to try tip 6.
Losing so much crop to slugs can really suck. Hope you have more success in the future.
Have you ever used a spray bottle set on stream with a diluted household ammonia and water mixture? Very efficient at night, in the rain, on flipped over boards and cheap. The ammonia breaks down as nitrogen and nearly all of my plants are unaffected with an overspray. It’s great not having to sever the slugs or stoop to their level to easily kill them. You don’t even need to be a good aim. I’m keen to learn if you’ve ever used diluted ammonia this way?
I was just about to comment the same thing! I mix it up in a 5l sprayer and then seek out the slugs at night. Also give the entire growing area a light covering too. One application had a significant impact on slug numbers.