Alan wrote:

Cloud,

Thanks for the reply. First, what is DE? Is that, and forgive my
spelling, diatomaceous earth? If it is, we use that for the pool
filterafter backwashing. We get a 24 pound bag for $5 from Island
Recreational.

Yup, that's it. A nice solid border of that will deter the snails. The
rough, sharp edges tear up their bellies. The only downside is that it
needs to be reapplied after heavy rain or waterings. If you live in a
dry area, it's a great deterrent.


The snails and the slugs were so bad last year. We are putting down
mulch now and I also got 2 two cubic ft bags of cedar chips. I did
beer once and that is one disgusting mess.

The chips won't be as affective as the mulch. The snails will simply
make houses out of them and crawl under them. It's the "splintered"
nature of the mulch that deters them.


What does the Bug-GETA do to the soil? All year round I eat
vegetables fro the supermarkets and god knows what's on that. I
appreciate that you try to stay chemical free but I'm try to just use
those that aren't super hamful.

I don't know the product but given the price you can get DE for, you're
just as well off with that. DE is also not toxic to wildlife whereas
some of the chemical deterrents can be. The label should tell you
everything you need to know.




Last year in addition to the slugs and snails we had these flee
looking things that ate leaves. We planted 4 zuchini plants and each
one yielded nothing, even though we could see the beginnings of very
nice zuchinis and last year we had mulch but it obviously wasn't
enough or it just didn't stop whatever was eating the zuchinis

Could be aphids. The mulch won't stop them. You might try insecticidal soap.



My wife put down some stuff, which is at least 100 ft from the garden,
to keep rabits and squirrels away from all the annuals she puts out
around the pool, basically where the pool cover goes so you really
cannot put perenials there. I was thinking of using that poweer
around the outside of the vegetable garden but that one might be
really bad.

Of all the things I listed, there aren't any that are moderately safe?


The only way to stop rabbits around here is chicken wire. As for the
slugs and friends, you can consider making a border from rough lumber
(so rough you'd get splinters handling it without gloves). The buggers
won't crawl over them. I make all my raised beds from rough lumber (dug
down an inch into the ground) and have a zero slug problem.

There's also copper. You can use copper flashing or a copper mesh
(available from leevalley.com for about $30 for 100 feet). The slugs
won't crawl over it cause it gives them a shocking sensation. It has to
be cleaned periodically with vinegar to keep it from tarnishing.

Beer traps are messy but are good if you have an enclosed area that may
have caught some slugs inside....like my raised bed. For the few days
after I construct them, I set out traps to get the ones that think
they're in for a buffet in the bed.

Like I mentioned, mulch. Just ensure it's real mulch and not chips. You
need to mess it up from time to time (couple times a year) to ensure the
mulch on bottom hasn't rotted to the point that the whole area becomes a
tunnel for the buggers.

I also use landscape fabric (usually under the mulch. The slugs don't
seem to be able to cross a long area of the fabric (it's usual 3 or 4
foot width) without drying out.

And the DE. All these are completely safe and non-toxic. Also ensure you
have no hiding areas around, like boards and rocks laying on top of the
ground. The buggers love any spot that is cool and moist.

..