Slugs/snails

megadodge

I know this could have been in the 'Gardening' section, but I'm looking for viewpoints from a more nature-friendly viewpoint.

I've got a relatively new garden (no grass) with plenty of shrubs/flowers. Recently I've noticed an enormous amount of slugs in the mornings, especially after a wet night. This didn't really bother me until I noticed one of my little flowers had more or less been completely eaten by slugs/snails. Now I want to get rid of them, or at least make sure they're keeping away from my plants.

Today I went into my local hardware shop and asked was there any slug killer/repellant that didn't harm birds directly or indirectly. Even after reading the available products we couldn't say for sure, so I didn't buy.

Is there any product that will get rid of slugs/snails but definitely won't have any adverse effect on birds/other wildlife?

swifts need our help!

Hosta growers use boiled garlic . It can be bought ready made but if you fancy trying it yourself here is the recipe
https://www.bowdenhostas.com/pages/Garlic-Wash-Recipe.html

I use blue pellets

Mark

Kess73

Copper strips around pots works a treat as slugs cannot cross copper.


Fine sharp gravel spread around plants will stop them, as will playpit sand.Crushed eggshell is also something they will not go across.

All the above options can work well in a small to medium garden


Some people like to use beer traps for catching slugs and snails. Basically it is a sunken jar or bottle that has beer inside of it. Slugs/snails home in on the beer and fall in.


The most obvious (and time consuming) option is they are really a big problem is to search for them under flowerpots etc each day and remove them.


Another option, and my preferred one tbh, would be to try and attract animals that eat snails and slugs to your garden.

Song and Mistle thrush will eat snails all year round and will also take slugs.

Frogs and hedgehogs will eat snails and slugs.

Birds like blackbirds, starlings, magpies, jackdaws, and even robins will take a small amount of slugs as part of their diets as well.

If you could get a loan of a hen or two for a day a week in a slug/snail heavy garden, you will see slug/snail numbers crash.

I am sure others on here might have more practical ideas to throw at you, but some of the above might be of use to you or give you ideas to follow up on.

Mothman

I put on disposable gloves and collect the slugs and snails during the night.
I relocate them across a stream. Gather them into a bucket with some water in it. The water helps keep them in the bucket while I continue filling.

I find this extremely effective. I don't bother with the small slugs, it's the big ones that can do big damage in short time.

I see Kess mentioned hens....they don't like slugs much, but they do attack snails, as much for shells than flesh.
Ducks are more effective with slug control and they don't dig up the garden.

littlebug

I've used nemaslug in the past which did make a noticeable difference but there were still slugs and it can get expensive if you've a lot of ground to cover.

Other than that I do similar to Mothman except it's chopsticks and a paper bag and usually early in the morning rather than during the night. I also just turn over things that they may have been resting under and let the birds feast My beer traps never really worked.
Last year I gave up and just let them have the lettuce :rolleyes: They'd put me off it anyway. I learned years ago not to bother with hostas and the like. The crushed shells do offer some protection as does the copper tape around pots. .
I once had a bouncy castle in the garden over night and in the morning when it was turned over it was covered in (baby) slugs. It was just rolled up and sent off in the Bouncy Castle Mans van

Phil the Greek

My method is nature-friendly but not to the slugs. I go on night patrols with a flashlight and scissors. I find that the remaining slugs will eat the dead ones (slows them down as they head for my veg), as will ground beetles. There's not usually many left in the morning so I'm guessing the birds clear up the remains. It wasn't my first method of choice, but when I saw my hard work being devastated by them, the red mist came down. Never a Hedgehog around when you need one.

artieanna

Am having same problem tons of snails this year. Can't let hens in the garden or they root everything up with their scraping legs :O(

Have been using lime sprinkled around cabbage plants (it burns the snails if they go on it) but its an ongoing battle rain washes lime away snails come back)

I don't use any of the chemical slug killers as birds get it an also I've checked and animals will eat slug pellets (and it says on pack they dont!!!!)

I'm so frustrated with slugs at the minute I'm thinking of using a bucket of heavily salted water and throwing them into it! I usually feel sorry for them and throw them as far from the garden as I can, but I'm sure they come back!!!

Phil the Greek

artieanna wrote: »

Have been using lime sprinkled around cabbage plants (it burns the snails if they go on it) but its an ongoing battle rain washes lime away snails come back)

Lime raises the ph of your soil making it more alkaline. Not good if you intend to do crop rotation and plan to plant spuds there in future, they prefer more acidic soil. Don't think adding salt to your soil would help it either. Maybe try other alternatives, beer traps, sheets of cardboard or old carpet (turn over in morning and remove hiding slugs), half an Orange will attract them, again remove them from this in the morning. Try sprinkling a very thin line of oatmeal around the beds, they find this and feed on it, diverts them from the bed, the birds like it too so it's an ongoing thing.

Kess73

artieanna wrote: »

Am having same problem tons of snails this year. Can't let hens in the garden or they root everything up with their scraping legs :O(

Have been using lime sprinkled around cabbage plants (it burns the snails if they go on it) but its an ongoing battle rain washes lime away snails come back)

I don't use any of the chemical slug killers as birds get it an also I've checked and animals will eat slug pellets (and it says on pack they dont!!!!)

I'm so frustrated with slugs at the minute I'm thinking of using a bucket of heavily salted water and throwing them into it! I usually feel sorry for them and throw them as far from the garden as I can, but I'm sure they come back!!!

The smaller species of hen will not root up earth like the full sized version. Should have pointed that out in my original post. The smaller ones will go after both snail and slug but will not leave divets all over the garden. The full sized ones can do a fair bit of damage in a small garden though.

Great shout by Mothman regarding ducks. That option has totally slipped my mind.

Cork boy 55

No need for posion A small bit of smart labour will clear a small to medium garden.

Night patrols
If there is a dry spell and then a wet evening go out that night about 11:00 with a torch and kill them all
after the dry spell they will have been inactive during the water bring thems all out like irish people on a sunny day

Resticted use of slug pellets
If you must use slugs one trick is too place them where birds or animals don't go Under a shed on a piece of cardboard with a few lettuce leaves will get a few kills.

Raid their daytime hideouts
under stones flowerputs, eaves and windowrsills
check between creaper plants and walls and in the leaves of certain types
of bushes and plants.

Traps
Beer traps work but put a cover over them

Cork boy 55

http://www.gardening-guru.co.uk/2010/04/11/slugs-traps-death-by-beer/

Slug Traps ~ Death by Beer

Cork boy 55

You can also put slug pellets and some bait(some old lettuce) in the beer traps instead of beer
Does keeping the dead slugs and pellets away from birds, animals and pets
not as effective as scathing them on ground. but safer