Slugs
 

I live in Ellicott City, MD and have been in this house
for 19 years. Yesterday there were three LARGE slugs on
our patio. First time we've seen slugs. From whence
did they come?

Like other insects and bugs, they live on the ground and come out at night to eat. If you want to get rid of slugs then use coffee grounds around your garden or you can use sand.

I know lots about slugs Dick. Short answer - they came from underground and have been yomping away on some plant life or vegetation. Now the long blurb!

Nematodes are the answer. They kill the nasty beasts underground without harming the environment.
Whatever you decide, don't go out with the big guns just yet (i.e. blue slug pellets which are harmful to pets and birds). Look up a local or internet supplier for nematodes. We use a brand named Nemaslug in the UK. I'm from the rather wet (slugs love wet weather) Isle of Man in the middle of the Irish sea.

There are nematodes for most garden predators, but slugs can eat lots and lots of your lovely plants, particularly freshly sprouted veg - and practically any other plant with lush new green growth. Hostas are another favourite.

Actually, the really big fat brown slugs prefer rotting timber and leaf mold, so would not do as much damage as the black and lighter brown smaller ones.

Perhaps you have recently created an area they love (under stones, plantpots, practically anywhere dark and damp. Or maybe you have started growing some lucscious plant they are feeding on.

I use nematodes each year - clever little bacteria you just mix in your watering can and water with a large rose. I only use them on my veg patch, so a 40 sq metre pack which comes at six week intervals throughout the main growing season (end March, mid May, end June). They cost around £24 for all three packs.

Good luck, tho I imagine you won't have nearly the slug population with a much drier environment.

Slugs
 

In article , says...

I live in Ellicott City, MD and have been in this house
for 19 years. Yesterday there were three LARGE slugs on
our patio. First time we've seen slugs. From whence
did they come?

Have you asked them?

Slugs
 

"Dick Adams" wrote in message
...
I live in Ellicott City, MD and have been in this house
for 19 years. Yesterday there were three LARGE slugs on
our patio. First time we've seen slugs. From whence
did they come?


They've probably been there all the time. They're very good at hiding during
the daylight hours. Get some Sluggo and sprinkle around plants you want to
protect. It's only poisonous to slugs and snails.

Slugs
 

In article ,
(Dick Adams) wrote:

I live in Ellicott City, MD and have been in this house
for 19 years. Yesterday there were three LARGE slugs on
our patio. First time we've seen slugs. From whence
did they come?

Easy way to bring critters into your garden is by purchasing container
plants. Who knows where they have been?

Concerning slugs. Billy from Camp run a mock told me about
http://www.sciencelab.com/page/S/PVAR/SLF1372

Their service is V E R Y Slow.

500g for $100 but you only need 1 % to kill em.

--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden

http://marshallmcluhanspeaks.com/

We live in Oregon and have plenty of slugs and snails here. We've had good success lately by hand-picking them in the middle of the night for a few nights in a row, and also by putting out beer traps (beer mixed with a little bit of yeast in small jars (e.g. baby food jars) strategically placed around the garden, especially close to areas where slugs are likely to come from.

We also got ducks, and there's nothing more satisfying than feeding the hand-picked bounty to our ducks. :)