Slug Pellets

M.Pellet

I'm looking to literally cover my garden in slug pellets before they eat all my plants...(lettuce and tulips)
Where's the cheapest place to buy them in bulk?

goat2

M.Pellet wrote: »

I'm looking to literally cover my garden in slug pellets before they eat all my plants...(lettuce and tulips)
Where's the cheapest place to buy them in bulk?

i find if you put beer out they make a beeline for it and drown happy
it is a brilliant cheaper way to rid yourself of these, as you could kill hedgehogs which would help you ridding the place of them

M.Pellet

M.Pellet wrote: »

I'm looking to literally cover my garden in slug pellets before they eat all my plants...(lettuce and tulips)
Where's the cheapest place to buy them in bulk?

You don't need alot of slug pellets!!!
They are attracted to them, and one tiny pellet can kill lots of the blighters.

One every inch or two as a border does the business. No need to buy in bulk.

Discodog

Please remember that slug pellets are one of the biggest killers of wildlife & even domestic pets. If you kill the wildlife that eat slugs thn you make the problem worse.

Get a nematode slug treatment & follow the directions carefully.

DERICKOO

Discodog wrote: »

Please remember that slug pellets are one of the biggest killers of wildlife & even domestic pets. If you kill the wildlife that eat slugs thn you make the problem worse.

Get a nematode slug treatment & follow the directions carefully.

don't dogs get some sort of worm from eating the slugs also.
beer sunk into the soil really does the trick. "what a way to go."

Discodog

Discodog wrote: »

Please remember that slug pellets are one of the biggest killers of wildlife & even domestic pets.

There is no proof of that.

johno2

Moonbaby wrote: »

There is no proof of that.

There might be no hard evidence, but there's plenty of anecdotal evidence that says they can. Poisoned slugs are easier for hedgehogs to find and a hedgehog can eat 100 slugs in a night. 50 times the dosage required to kill a slug will kill a hedgehog. Beer is a much safer method of controlling them. If you think slug pellets are safe, eat a spoonful of them and let us know how you get on. (That was obviously not a serious suggestion, you'll probably kill yourself if you try this.)

johno

goat2

johno2 wrote: »

There might be no hard evidence, but there's plenty of anecdotal evidence that says they can. Poisoned slugs are easier for hedgehogs to find and a hedgehog can eat 100 slugs in a night. 50 times the dosage required to kill a slug will kill a hedgehog. Beer is a much safer method of controlling them. If you think slug pellets are safe, eat a spoonful of them and let us know how you get on. (That was obviously not a serious suggestion, you'll probably kill yourself if you try this.)

johno

one thing is for shure, you will not be sitting up and breathing a few hours later, beer the way to go, they die happly
i had beer always and worked i had been wondering why so many snail shells were near the beer jug every morning, until one night i heard cracking, i peered out to see two beautiful hedgehogs in the garden having a feast, and then they had some of the beer to polish it off, they had beer and lescargot, i now have a familly of them, i take care of them with dog food at night, and they take care of my garden, and have beer to polish it off
this is a fact

Discodog

Moonbaby wrote: »

There is no proof of that.

There is an awful lot of evidence if you look. I know of a Jack Russel dog that died from Slug Pellets - the owner has never forgiven himself. He gave the dog a lamb leg bone. The dog took the bone & must of put it down on some slug pellets. They found the bone covered in pellets that had stuck to it.

This article refers to a Labrador that was killed by slug pellets. One might wonder that if they can kill a big dog then cats & wildlife must be vulnerable.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1189773/Homebase-slug-pellets-killed-lovely-labrador--clear-warning.html

Regarding Hedgehogs, St Tiggywinkles Wildlife hospital are the experts. They say "Never use slug pellets. The poison they contain almost always kills hedgehogs, who will eat the poisoned slugs (as will birds)."

Thrushes especially have no way of knowing if a snail has ingested slug pellets.

As there are perfectly good safe alternatives why take the risk ?.

goat2

Discodog wrote: »

There is an awful lot of evidence if you look. I know of a Jack Russel dog that died from Slug Pellets - the owner has never forgiven himself. He gave the dog a lamb leg bone. The dog took the bone & must of put it down on some slug pellets. They found the bone covered in pellets that had stuck to it.

This article refers to a Labrador that was killed by slug pellets. One might wonder that if they can kill a big dog then cats & wildlife must be vulnerable.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1189773/Homebase-slug-pellets-killed-lovely-labrador--clear-warning.html

Regarding Hedgehogs, St Tiggywinkles Wildlife hospital are the experts. They say "Never use slug pellets. The poison they contain almost always kills hedgehogs, who will eat the poisoned slugs (as will birds)."

Thrushes especially have no way of knowing if a snail has ingested slug pellets.

As there are perfectly good safe alternatives why take the risk ?.

the fact that we lost alot of our wildlife in this hard winter we need to try to protect them, feed them, this is where the the slugs come in along with snails, i love wildlife too much , would not want to be the cause of the death of even one

Degsy

If you must use pellets i find the various poundshops have them very cheaply..around a third the price of a gardening centre.

deisemum

There are slug pellets that are safe to use near children and pets as well as suitable for organic gardening. I used some last year and they worked, I got a 3ltr box for €3.99 in Aldi today, got some in Homebase last year.

I tried the beer traps and it wasn't too successful.

deisemum

I meant to add that some organic gardeners try a combination of things and have found that leaving planks of wood lying close to area that needs protecting seems to attract the slugs to it and when you turn it over in the morning you'll find plenty of them and if you've got poultry they'll devour them.

I've tried egg shells as well and no joy.

tabbycats

Why not try a Slug Bell then you do not have to spread pellets all over where animals and kids can get to them. The bells are attractive and use a small amount of pellets as opposed to spreading

goat2

tabbycats wrote: »

Why not try a Slug Bell then you do not have to spread pellets all over where animals and kids can get to them. The bells are attractive and use a small amount of pellets as opposed to spreading

i am not being smart
this is new to me
what are bells,
how do you use them
are they successful

tabbycats

I have some bells they work really well stopping all the scattering of pellets around I've looked up and there is a website I think you can just Google slugbell otherwise I can check up where mine came from. they do work at attracting slugs and snails for a feast and as I say they only use a very small amount of pellets which are not accessible to kids and animals

goat2

tabbycats wrote: »

I have some bells they work really well stopping all the scattering of pellets around I've looked up and there is a website I think you can just Google slugbell otherwise I can check up where mine came from. they do work at attracting slugs and snails for a feast and as I say they only use a very small amount of pellets which are not accessible to kids and animals

are they round shaped or boxed, you got me interested,
once the wildlife is safe, i am happy

tabbycats

they are as they are called bell shaped and it is on a spike which goes into the ground this has a mesh basket in which the pellets are put but is covered by the bell shaped top. they can be moved around and put in tubs as well there are several different designs to blend in with plants etc
[url]www.slugbell.com:[/url])

mikom

I wish to pass a motion that all shills shall be force-fed slug pellets till they turn blue.

goat2

tabbycats wrote: »

they are as they are called bell shaped and it is on a spike which goes into the ground this has a mesh basket in which the pellets are put but is covered by the bell shaped top. they can be moved around and put in tubs as well there are several different designs to blend in with plants etc
www.slugbell.com:)

simple idea, brilliant
there are some great minds
who think up simple but useful tools

Thirteenth Step

Metaldehyde is a common ingredient of slug/snail baits or pellets. However, not all slug baits contain metaldehyde; it is important to check which type has been ingested. Metaldehyde poisoning is extremely serious and is usually fatal without urgent treatment. Despite their popularity, slug pellets are one of the least effective methods of slug control, killing no more than 10% of the slug population in the average garden. However, they do pose a real hazard to other wildlife, pets and even young children.

Thirteenth Step

Moonbaby wrote: »

There is no proof of that.

Metaldehyde is a common ingredient of slug/snail baits or pellets. However, not all slug baits contain metaldehyde; it is important to check which type has been ingested. Metaldehyde poisoning is extremely serious and is usually fatal without urgent treatment. Despite their popularity, slug pellets are one of the least effective methods of slug control, killing no more than 10% of the slug population in the average garden. However, they do pose a real hazard to other wildlife, pets and even young children.

magicbastarder

well, that's some thread resurrection.
we have frogs and hedgehogs in the back garden. slug pellets are not something i'd consider for a second.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I found out years ago that a wildlife friendly garden doesn't need any action against slugs or snails. The birds, hedgehogs, frogs etc. keep all in check. Likewise aphids are no longer a problem.

Graces7

DERICKOO wrote: »

don't dogs get some sort of worm from eating the slugs also.
beer sunk into the soil really does the trick. "what a way to go."

Does not have to be beer. Anything sweet will work as well. I used to half fill empty cat food tins with juice or even jam that had fermented and water and they would fill overnight. ALso leave a piece of wood eg a small plank, or even cardboard down or plastic sheeting overnight and in the morning there wil be dozens asleep under there

Curly head

There are organic pellets available Neudorrf I think they are called. I used them last year. Got them in woodies.They are certified safe to animals n bird's.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Beer, or sweet liquid, traps have been found to not only be ineffective but counter productive, in field studies.
One disadvantage is that slugs and snails will be attracted into the garden by the smell of the beer from far away and because not all slugs die in the traps, in the end, there might be more of them in the garden than before.
It's estimated that only about one-third of the slugs actually fall into the traps and drown in them.
As slugs are cannibalistic, they are also attracted by the dead snails and slugs in the beer traps.

They kill the predators of slugs as well. Such as leopards slugs and roman snails that don't damage plants.

Likewise, ground beetles that hunt snails drown in the traps.

Living Off The Splash

Anyone know where I can get a hedgehog?

magicbastarder

short answer - you can't. you need a licence to handle native hedgehogs, and you can't keep them as pets. they're a protected species.

magicbastarder

that said, if you live somewhere that you see them occasionally, you can provide habitat for them - undisturbed leaf piles, brash, etc.