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Old 06-09-2003, 03:32 AM
John Savage
 
Posts: n/a
Default Slaters - Any Danger?

Down Under On The Bucket Farm writes:
Around here, there are a fair amount of slaters,
also called rolly-pollies, pill-bugs, sow-bugs
etc. [...]
So, are slaters dangerous for veggies (going in
over the next few weeks.)


Try a google search for slaters on the aus.gardens newsgroup for the
local opinions.

Slaters seem to function by cleaning up rotting material.
I have never seen any damage that could be pinned onto slaters, and have
gardened where there were many. I have found them on the base of some
strawberry fruits, but these have always been those few fruit that were
making direct contact with the soil rather than sitting on straw, and
I've assumed that the fruit had already begun to rot before it proved
attractive to the slater. (Otherwise they would be on fruit that wasn't
in contact with the soil, too.)

Others have written that they HAVE experienced damage to some healthy
plants.
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)