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Slug Control Methods?

Lorraine, France Fr

I had a plenty of limax in my garden (the place is really wild and has never been cleaned before) and I'm afraid off what they might do to my plants. Can I control or even get rid off them without using chemicals?




Answers

 

I've gone for a multi pronged attack. Birds like to eat slugs, so try attracting them to the garden. You can fill an empty tin or jar with beer and bury it up to the neck in soil, slugs are attracted to this, fall in and at least they die happy. Around specific plants you can sprinkle crushed egg shells, sand or even hair clippings, as they are sharp and the slugs don't like sliming over them. It's working a treat with my baby cabbages so far.

15 Apr, 2009

 

Thank you, Lulabelle! Actually, all the plants (most of them hedges and trees) I bought for my garden by now are intended to attract the birds (I didn't think about the slugs at the time...) I've seen here on GOY that hedgehogs and frogs are also serious enemies of slugs. I could adopt 2 or 3 hedgehogs as my garden is big and wild enough to imitate their natural habitat. I've seen a lot of them these days (Unfortunatelly, a lot of crashed hedgehogs on the roads).

15 Apr, 2009

 

there are various Natural methods to control slugs, i have tried quick a few metohds, eggshells, beer traps etc. The most effective methog that i have tried is called Nemaslugs which is a natural product containing microscoipe worms which seeks out snails, and elimates them within a couple of days Have a look at the following link. http://www.savetheplants.co.uk/shop/nemaslug-treats-40m²-p-30.html

15 Apr, 2009

 

I found this on net:

Beer or Milk Traps

Smooth glass or plastic containers, sunk into the soil and filled with beer or milk, certainly trap slugs. However there are problems. Never, for instance, sink the containers with their rims flush with the soil level. If you do, you will drown ground beetles that are important pest (including slug) controllers. The rims should be 1-2 cm above the soil's surface; slugs can crawl up and over quite easily. For this method to be an effective control, you need an awful lot of beer traps - at the very least one every meter in every direction - and an awful lot of beer or milk. The liquid must be replenished every few days, which can be quite a task. However, on a small scale, to protect a group of choice plants, the technique can work.

Night Time by Torch Light

This method of slug extermination is strictly for the non-squeamish. Fix a hat pin, or similar needle-like item, to a stick, binding it tightly with string. Then simply go round the garden spearing your slugs like the man collecting litter in the park. The slugs can be transferred to a container of salt or boiling water to finish them off. It sounds rather horrible, but at least, if you are worried, you can be sure that in this way they have a quicker death than would be the case with any of the poisons. One can become quite hard-hearted when an expensive and long-sought hosta is turned to lace the night after planting.
This technique can be surprisingly successful. Whereas a beer trap might catch a dozen or so slugs in a week, you can easily kill a couple of hundred an hour by searching. The greatest number are usually to be found on the lawn and pathways rather than on the soil itself. If your don't mind remarks about your waning sanity, you could even mow the lawn at night - you would kill slugs by the thousand! There might be lighting and safety problems, however, so take care - and warn the neighbours. Also, beware wandering amphibians which will also be hunting slugs at night.

Barriers

A number of different materials can be used to surround plants with the intention of deterring slugs. Most, like sand, ashes, broken eggshells and soot are physically difficult for slugs to get across either through being scratchy and sharp or by drying up the mucous glands that are necessary for their movement. There may sometimes be a chemically repellent effect as, for instance, in the case of ashes.
Unfortunately these substances all suffer from the ravages of wind and rain which respectively blow the stuff about or splash it with mud. In addition weeds may grow up and form bridges for slugs on the soil's surface, while the burrowers have no trouble going underneath in any case! However, with plenty of maintenance such barriers can work against surface-feeding species, particularly if other, more easily accessible food is available near by.

17 Apr, 2009

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