[scrapemedic]

I see garden centres are selling toad house now, quite nice ones too but a bit expensive. I might try taking an old plastic pot, cut an entrance out of one side and bury it in the mud on the flower bed in the allotment and see if the toad likes that. (I saw one around earlier in the year so hopefully its still around. Just wondering if it is worth making a small pond in one corner somewhere on the allotment to encourage toads?

[shoreham]

Wild mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles are thg best slug and snail control mechanisms but they need an area of habitat in the garden

If you want hedeghogs, thrushes, toads and slow worms to do the job dont make your garden too tidy. Preserve natural hedges when you can rather than putting in fences. Plant native trees like hawthorn and holly not eucalyptus.  Preserve a corner of the garden where you tip the garden waste and let nature takes it course. This will provide homes for all those slug killers and it wont cost you a penny.

 

[John Mason]

Walked down to the garden at 0300 today for a torchlight hunt. Must have had 40 or 50 of the little b*ggers!

Cheers - John

[Nigel Bolton]

Slugs on move ATM. Have planted my hoof on quite a number this morning. Have been holed up in the lawn, but were making a bee-line towards to courgettes. Small white slugs that contract into a ball if you disturb them.

N.

[Nigel Bolton]

Have just done some outside work, clearing away leaf litter under damp and non windy conditions, best weather for that task IMO.

Potential problem - the number of slugs overwintering and indeed even foraging is quite startling. They are everywhere and in great abundance. Although I am not too worried at this time as they will hpefully munch their way through some of the rotting leaves, I fear for the Spring plant-out. Might have to work twice as hard to control slugs, once planting out time begins in earnest.

N.

[Halo]

Whilst looking amongst lots of books last year I found this one. Ideal for the masochists amongst you. :-)

Attached thumbnail(s)

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[Nigel Bolton]

Had to resort to the pellets last night - not proud. After our thick, warm downpour, slugs and snails came out in droves. They have eaten most of the radishes, and some of the bean leaves, but the damage would have been far worse had I not taken preventative measures.

Slugs had been holed up during the warm, dry spell, and were obviously ravenous.

N.

[Halo]

An article about a super breed of slugs from Spain:

http://www.bbc.co.uk...gazine-18672728

[Bazmundo]

Halo, on 04 July 2012 - 08:26, said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk...gazine-18672728

Quote

The increasing number of all slugs poses a real threat to agriculture, say experts. They also pose a threat to drivers as cars can skid on the slicks left where slugs have been run over and squashed.
"Slugs are also cannibals so when they smell dead slugs that have been crushed by cars they gather on the roads to feed on them," says Dr Noble. "This can leave slicks on roads which can cause accidents."

Now that is something I have to see...

[Nigel Bolton]

Hmmm, sounds a bit far fetched, w.r.t. slipery roads.

One positive thing about slugs, is they eat dog shit. One thing about rainy weather is that dog owners are less likely to clear up afterwards. You can tell it has been wet recently, as it is increasinly difficult to walk into town without getting it all over your shoes or on pram wheels. I would be happy to live with slugs if they just ate dog (and cat) shit.

N.

[skanky]

Nigel Bolton, on 04 July 2012 - 13:34, said:

Hmmm, sounds a bit far fetched, w.r.t. slipery roads.

One positive thing about slugs, is they eat dog shit. One thing about rainy weather is that dog owners are less likely to clear up afterwards. You can tell it has been wet recently, as it is increasinly difficult to walk into town without getting it all over your shoes or on pram wheels. I would be happy to live with slugs if they just ate dog (and cat) shit.

N.

Different kinds of slug though, aren't they?

[PK2]

skanky, on 04 July 2012 - 15:40, said:

Nigel Bolton, on 04 July 2012 - 13:34, said:

Hmmm, sounds a bit far fetched, w.r.t. slipery roads.

One positive thing about slugs, is they eat dog shit. One thing about rainy weather is that dog owners are less likely to clear up afterwards. You can tell it has been wet recently, as it is increasinly difficult to walk into town without getting it all over your shoes or on pram wheels. I would be happy to live with slugs if they just ate dog (and cat) shit.

N.

Different kinds of slug though, aren't they?

which? The extra slippery type or the poo cleaning type?
That said I'm sure they fulfil a useful purpose in the eco-system, I just wish they'd eat things other than my food

This post has been edited by PK2: 04 July 2012 - 16:19

[skanky]

The poo eating kind - though I could be wrong.
There are different types though, and not all are bad. The yellow/green ones for example pretty much only eat decaying matter.

[Halo]

Leopard slugs are meant to be harmless in the garden and clean up rotting material, dead slugs etc.

[skanky]

They're mainly in the compost heap. It's when they get into the house that they're a problem.

Aren't the big, black ones also not too bad? Or did I get that wrong?

[Halo]

skanky, on 05 July 2012 - 07:56, said:

They're mainly in the compost heap. It's when they get into the house that they're a problem.

Aren't the big, black ones also not too bad? Or did I get that wrong?

Yes, I think you're right although the black slugs can still cause seedlings harm they don't cause as much damage to plants as other species of slug.

...and if you want to keep snails/slugs as pets:

http://www.petsnails.co.uk/

This post has been edited by Halo: 05 July 2012 - 08:06

[skanky]

There are small, black ones that climb that I find on peas and beans, and larger brown ones with orange feet, and snails that seem to do the most damage - though I am sure there are others that I miss.

However, I think the slugs in parts of my garden have got trench foot, now.

[Nigel Bolton]

Just been out to harvest some broad beans, and inadvertently stepped on a huge slug. It must have been about the same size, shape and colour as a Lincolnshire sausage, and given it was crawling over an area of concrete that has now been wet for weeks and now rather mossy, I nearly went posterior over mammary gland. It was not a pretty sight, but al least that is one slug that will not be leaving hundreds of eggs in my veggie plots.

Interestingly, the slugs have paid scant attention to my beer traps; they are obviously fussy as to which beer I serve up. However, in extremis, I did lay some more conventional slug bait last night after yesterday's rain in areas where birds and animals cannot get to, and it has disabled many gastropods, but not before they had munched most of the way through my radishes.

Slugs seem to be swelling alarmingly this summer, both in size and in numbers. If it does not stop raining soon, they will soon be the size of Zeppelins.

N.

[Ed.]

Saw a right beastie of a slug today..a good two or three inches plus long.I thought leave it be, and certainly decided against doing a Torville & Dean impression like our Nigel LOL!

If they become the size of Zeppelins, hehe then we'll need more than some lead strength extra large pellets..Assuming a bit of lead Zeppelin never harmed anyone

[Ed.]

or..

http://www.google.co...9,r:9,s:0,i:101