I'm wondering why you think they're essential in the garden. I'd also add that no matter how many you kill, there'll be zillions more along in a minute.

You can't keep them away Cazza unfortunately, and the wet weather brings them out in droves. One way to reduce their numbers is to encourage wildlife into your garden. I stopped using chemicals in the garden some years ago, feed the birds, built a log pile and put heaps of leaves and branches at the top of the garden near the compost for hedgehogs, insects, slow worms etc and my slug and snail problem has got less. As a last resort, they are more obvious to spot in the early evening so if you go out then you could collect them up and take them somewhere else!

Didn't someone on here do an experiment by putting a dob of nail varnish on the shells, and then shipping out the many snails they'd collected to other spots? I seem to recall a few days later, many of them had returned, though not those driven more than half a mile away. No good chucking them over next door, that's for sure.

I rarely treat for slugs and snails, but in spring and early summer, if the weather is wet, then I'm afraid I do use slug pellets, in particular around plants I know they love, like hostas, for instance. There are treatments available which do not have a residual toxic effect on any birds or hedgehogs which may eat the dead or dying slug/snails, but they do kill them. As far as I'm concerned, its about balance - wet weather in spring and summer means an explosion in snail and slug population and activity, so in order to restore a bit of balance between my plants growing and allowing some slug and snail existence, I treat when there are just too many.

I've been trying out a new(?) product made from pellets of compressed sheep's wool and it has been working well in places where my slug damage is usually at its worst. Non toxic. Pleased with it so far. (Can't advertise it on the site, though.)

The mild winter and wet weather is ideal for slugs and snail. It was so bad in Feb that I have been using pellets for the first time. A non killing way is using a pine needle mulch all over the garden. It does work but be watchful what plants you have as some will not like the acidity.

Why can't you mention by name what it is Ojibway? Unless you're selling it yourself, its fine to mention brand names and suppliers.

I've no objection to killing slugs and snails as there will always be another thousand or so developing to replace those you kill! I DO object to the fact that the slug pellets mean that the dying snails and slugs are eaten by birds which are in turn poisoned.
Tedious though it is, picking up and moving them several hundred yards (at least) away IS effective. But make traps for them such as laying pieces of black plastic sheet on the ground where they will hide during the day, from which you can gather them.
Eventually this does have an impact.
But you are right, that slugs and snails are part of the ecosystem, and without them a lot of birds and small mammals would go hungry, and a lot of rotting vegetation would not be cleared up.

In that case, Bamboo - it's called Slug Gone and I got it from Ferndale although I'm sure others sell it. I noticed they were using it in the Beechgrove Garden (STV) this week. My young Lupins and the young leaves of Ligularia have been left pretty well alone this year, and my Tree Lupin has been allowed to bud up for the first time and it is one that is usually eaten to the ground by now.
It is a bit pricey but comes in big bags and I only have a small garden to deal with.

Thank Ojibway - never heard of the stuff, shall be checking it out.

I am having trouble imagining what happens to the pellets - do they expand drastically in the slugs stomach and kill it - or does it contain some poison?

Cammomile, if you're referring to Ojibway's sheeps wool pellets, I have no doubt they work by making the surface area around plants where they've been applied just too dry for slugs and snails to travel over, rather than slugs eating them.

Just checked it out online - the pellets take about 9 months to biodegrade, and they are uncomfortable for slugs to travel over, being dry and with small barbs (natural to sheeps wool). 20kg bag around £22 plus postage, so not cheap - prize plants only.

Just one small point. Molluscs are useful pests, they are primary movers in the conversion of plant material into humus. In the natural order of things they are essential and the vast majority of them do more good than harm. It is only because we gardeners do not like damaged plants that they have become regarded as pests.

@Bertiefox. The pellets are poisonous to slugs and snails. From the research that I have seen it would take a Hedgehog or bird to eat 10,000 of them to get the same poisonous effect. It is an urban legend that pellets kill. I have pellts and Hedgehogs, Thrushes and resident frogs.

I'm glad you have found 'slug gone' effective,Ojib,as I have been using it for a long time,as it used to be called
Sheep..it ! not my interpretation,but that is how it was spelled on the packet..!..Widely available in good garden centres in smaller bags of 3.5 kg,for about £7..expensive,but does what it claims to do..I find this amount is more than enough for my needs,as I only use around plants that are a target for snails and slugs..although it is also stated to be a good fertiliser,and completely safe for animals and birds....and stinks to high heaven when you open the packet ! Lol...I have mentioned it a few times on various blogs etc,so it's good to know someone else has tried it..

I wouldn't bother wasting my money on expensive items. I just go for the copper trick. Copper scourer unravelled and pegged down round prized plants................. about £1 for 3. I got some off the sky shop. £3.50 for 12. Alot cheaper than the purpose made pot and plant collars. Totally wildlife friendly and so much copper in one scourer..............................