slugs eating asparagus - help!
 

Should I use slug/snail bait or is there an alternative? The asparagus bed
is a few years established, but this is my first year here. I see spears
starting out - but then they get chewed off so I'm assuming slugs.

Joanne

In article ,
"Joanne & Ned" wrote:

Should I use slug/snail bait or is there an alternative? The asparagus bed
is a few years established, but this is my first year here. I see spears
starting out - but then they get chewed off so I'm assuming slugs.

Joanne



Odd... I have an asparagus bed also, and I have slugs around here but
they've never gone after the asparagus! They've been after the young
pumpkin vines in my greenhouse tho'. I've just been going out at night
and squishing them.

But, I don't have very many of them right now. We drowned hundreds of
them last summer with pans of dark ale. ;-)

Most people here seem to swear by "sluggo", but you might want to go out
at night and verify what is getting them.

Good luck!

--
K.

Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

As we go through life thinking heavy thoughts, thought particles
tend to get caught between the ears causing truth decay- so be sure
to use mental floss twice a day.

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"Joanne & Ned" wrote in message
...
Should I use slug/snail bait or is there an alternative? The asparagus
bed
is a few years established, but this is my first year here. I see spears
starting out - but then they get chewed off so I'm assuming slugs.

My suggestion for slug hunting: go out one rainy (or least, dewy) morning
with a plastic bag. Look in crevices, under vegetation, etc. Pick as many as
you can, and toss them into the plastic bag. Knot the bag. Put in the
freezer. Take out the next day and throw in the trash.

This method is both humane (my husband thinks humane slug killing is silly,
but there you have it) and organic, and I have found it to be effective,
too.


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

I brew beer and the leftovers after bottling goes in the shallow pans in
the garden during the growing season. Amazing what creatures like it too!

Have you gone out at night and checked? Slime trails?


John!

Katra sez:

But, I don't have very many of them right now. We drowned hundreds of
them last summer with pans of dark ale. ;-)

Joanne & Ned wrote:
Should I use slug/snail bait or is there an alternative? The
asparagus bed
is a few years established, but this is my first year here. I see
spears
starting out - but then they get chewed off so I'm assuming slugs.

Joanne

I bet it's not slugs, but as others have said, if they are you will
find them out there at 10pm, shining against a dark leaf in the
flashlight beam. Very difficult to miss. If they are slugs, sluggo is
organic ad extremely effective (I used to be overwhelmed). If they are
not slugs, it might be voles.

I agree with the rest about it not being slugs, grasshoppers maybe? There
is a spray aw Wal-Marts that is designed to be used on your edible produce
that does wonders on cabbage lopers. I bet it would work in your
application also.

My favorite for slugs is diatamatious earth (SP). It is safe to use
anywhere, and is sometimes fed to pets to rid them of worms. It is a little
pricy and will have to be reapplied after a rain, but it is immediately
effective.

Dwayne


"Joanne & Ned" wrote in message
...
Should I use slug/snail bait or is there an alternative? The asparagus
bed is a few years established, but this is my first year here. I see
spears starting out - but then they get chewed off so I'm assuming slugs.

Joanne

Dwayne,

Are you using food grade DE or pool grade?
I'm curious if Pool grade DE would work ok in gardens as it is fairly
cheap at pool supply places in 25 and 50 lb. bags.

I'd like to try treating baby squash plants with it as I've been unable
to grow squash or pumpkins due to squash borers. No melons either.
I was going to go ahead and try growing them indoors this year in the
greenhouses since I have the space. We erected the other 2 so now have 4
of them. :-)

How large of a pot should I use for a healthy zuchinni plant?


In article ,
"Dwayne" wrote:

I agree with the rest about it not being slugs, grasshoppers maybe? There
is a spray aw Wal-Marts that is designed to be used on your edible produce
that does wonders on cabbage lopers. I bet it would work in your
application also.

My favorite for slugs is diatamatious earth (SP). It is safe to use
anywhere, and is sometimes fed to pets to rid them of worms. It is a little
pricy and will have to be reapplied after a rain, but it is immediately
effective.

Dwayne


"Joanne & Ned" wrote in message
...
Should I use slug/snail bait or is there an alternative? The asparagus
bed is a few years established, but this is my first year here. I see
spears starting out - but then they get chewed off so I'm assuming slugs.

Joanne





--
K.

Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

As we go through life thinking heavy thoughts, thought particles
tend to get caught between the ears causing truth decay- so be sure
to use mental floss twice a day.

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

"Dwayne" wrote in message
...
I agree with the rest about it not being slugs, grasshoppers maybe? There
is a spray aw Wal-Marts that is designed to be used on your edible produce
that does wonders on cabbage lopers. I bet it would work in your
application also.

My favorite for slugs is diatamatious earth (SP). It is safe to use
anywhere, and is sometimes fed to pets to rid them of worms. It is a
little pricy and will have to be reapplied after a rain, but it is
immediately effective.

Dwayne


"Joanne & Ned" wrote in message
...
Should I use slug/snail bait or is there an alternative? The asparagus
bed is a few years established, but this is my first year here. I see
spears starting out - but then they get chewed off so I'm assuming slugs.

Joanne


Thanks for all the replies and suggestions! So far, there are slugs
present, but I don't see them actually on the asparagus, don't see the slime
either. Did see a few sow bugs and something similar to (maybe a juvenile?)
an earwig running away from the flashlight. Will keep looking. Haven't
seen any grasshoppers yet, too early in the season for them, I think. We
usually have enough around.

Joanne

I use the stuff for gardens. It is made from ground up sea shells. The
slugs crawl across it and cut open their undersides. I don't think it will
work for other types of bugs, unless they crawl over the top of it. If it
works other ways, let us know.

Dwayne


"Katra" wrote in message
...
Dwayne,

Are you using food grade DE or pool grade?
I'm curious if Pool grade DE would work ok in gardens as it is fairly
cheap at pool supply places in 25 and 50 lb. bags.

I'd like to try treating baby squash plants with it as I've been unable
to grow squash or pumpkins due to squash borers. No melons either.
I was going to go ahead and try growing them indoors this year in the
greenhouses since I have the space. We erected the other 2 so now have 4
of them. :-)

How large of a pot should I use for a healthy zuchinni plant?


In article ,
"Dwayne" wrote:

I agree with the rest about it not being slugs, grasshoppers maybe?
There
is a spray aw Wal-Marts that is designed to be used on your edible
produce
that does wonders on cabbage lopers. I bet it would work in your
application also.

My favorite for slugs is diatamatious earth (SP). It is safe to use
anywhere, and is sometimes fed to pets to rid them of worms. It is a
little
pricy and will have to be reapplied after a rain, but it is immediately
effective.

Dwayne


"Joanne & Ned" wrote in message
...
Should I use slug/snail bait or is there an alternative? The asparagus
bed is a few years established, but this is my first year here. I see
spears starting out - but then they get chewed off so I'm assuming
slugs.

Joanne





--
K.

Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

As we go through life thinking heavy thoughts, thought particles
tend to get caught between the ears causing truth decay- so be sure
to use mental floss twice a day.

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra