Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
slug preferences
Don't know much about what they like to eat but here is some information
about how to control them, published by the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service (http://www.aces.edu/Colbert/Colbert_...ews080902.html). CONTROLLING SLUGS - Gardeners dislike just about anything that makes a meal out of their plants. And one small creature has a big appetite. Slugs will munch on everything from seedlings to mature plants. Slugs are mollusks and are related to snails. Unlike snails and many other mollusks, slugs do not have shells. Their length and color varies. Slugs prefer dark places and are found under boards, stones, mulch or flower pots among other places. A good indicator of their presence are slime trails which they secrete and leave behind as they move around. Slugs feed mainly at night and will eat a variety of plants. They typically chew ragged holes in leaves, especially those near the soil surface. You'll can control slugs by using a combination of controls. Effective methods include sanitation, trapping, hand-picking, barriers and baits. If you're not the squeamish type, hand-picking can be very effective, if you don't have a major infestation of slugs. Head into the garden an hour or so after dark armed with a flashlight and a pail of water. Pick the slugs off your plants and drop them into the bucket. If you have a major infestation, you may need to add other controls to hand-picking for effective control. Most retail garden centers sell commercially prepared baits in pellet or liquid form. These baits are useful but can be toxic to pets and children if eaten. Baits may contain mesurol or metaldehyde and should be place after a rain or after watering when slugs will be more active. Read and follow the label instructions carefully if you use any of these products. Beer is a popular option and research has shown it can provide good control. Sink a shallow dish such as the ones microwave meals are packaged in the ground so the top is at ground level. Fill the container with beer. The slugs will be attracted to the beer, crawl into the container and drown.Refill the container as needed. A narrow border of sharp sand or cinders around a bed or border will serve as an effective barrier against them. A sprinkling of slaked lime or wood ashes along a row of tender plants will keep slugs away because their bodies are sensitive to these materials. Eliminating habitat will help reduce the number of slugs around your home and yard. Remove decaying wood and other debris on shady grounds. Thin plants to allow for more light and air movement. Don't put heavy mulch layers around susceptible plants. An effective trap is a small piece of board or similar material. Lay on the ground in areas where you're finding slug damage. Each morning, flip over the boards, collect the slugs and destroy them. "Zemedelec" wrote in message ... What attracts slugs to a particular plant? Last year they ate up all my hostas down to the ground; now the hostas are untouched, but they've gone to work on my beautiful (once) zantedeschia in a completely different part of the garden. zemedelec |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
slug preferences
"Steve" wrote in message ...
Don't know much about what they like to eat but here is some information about how to control them, published by the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service (http://www.aces.edu/Colbert/Colbert_...ews080902.html). CONTROLLING SLUGS - Gardeners dislike just about anything that makes a meal out of their plants. And one small creature has a big appetite. Slugs will munch on everything from seedlings to mature plants. Slugs are mollusks and are related to snails. Unlike snails and many other mollusks, slugs do not have shells. Their length and color varies. Slugs prefer dark places and are found under boards, stones, mulch or flower pots among other places. A good indicator of their presence are slime trails which they secrete and leave behind as they move around. Slugs feed mainly at night and will eat a variety of plants. They typically chew ragged holes in leaves, especially those near the soil surface. You'll can control slugs by using a combination of controls. Effective methods include sanitation, trapping, hand-picking, barriers and baits. If you're not the squeamish type, hand-picking can be very effective, if you don't have a major infestation of slugs. Head into the garden an hour or so after dark armed with a flashlight and a pail of water. Pick the slugs off your plants and drop them into the bucket. If you have a major infestation, you may need to add other controls to hand-picking for effective control. Most retail garden centers sell commercially prepared baits in pellet or liquid form. These baits are useful but can be toxic to pets and children if eaten. Baits may contain mesurol or metaldehyde and should be place after a rain or after watering when slugs will be more active. Read and follow the label instructions carefully if you use any of these products. Beer is a popular option and research has shown it can provide good control. Sink a shallow dish such as the ones microwave meals are packaged in the ground so the top is at ground level. Fill the container with beer. The slugs will be attracted to the beer, crawl into the container and drown.Refill the container as needed. A narrow border of sharp sand or cinders around a bed or border will serve as an effective barrier against them. A sprinkling of slaked lime or wood ashes along a row of tender plants will keep slugs away because their bodies are sensitive to these materials. Eliminating habitat will help reduce the number of slugs around your home and yard. Remove decaying wood and other debris on shady grounds. Thin plants to allow for more light and air movement. Don't put heavy mulch layers around susceptible plants. An effective trap is a small piece of board or similar material. Lay on the ground in areas where you're finding slug damage. Each morning, flip over the boards, collect the slugs and destroy them. "Zemedelec" wrote in message ... What attracts slugs to a particular plant? Last year they ate up all my hostas down to the ground; now the hostas are untouched, but they've gone to work on my beautiful (once) zantedeschia in a completely different part of the garden. zemedelec What attract slugs full stop my house backs on to a field you would think they had enough to eat there but they come in droves and it can be quite disgusting them crawling all over the place they ate all my marigorlds last year, and I hate putting down slug pellets because of the poor birds then eating the slugs Regards Linda |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
slug preferences
What attract slugs full stop my house backs on to a field you would
think they had enough to eat there but they come in droves and it can be quite disgusting them crawling all over the place they ate all my marigorlds last year, and I hate putting down slug pellets because of the poor birds then eating the slugs Regards Linda Linda, pick up some Sluggo or Escar-go, the latter of which is available at Garden's Alive (http://www.gardensalive.com). It's basically pellets of iron phosphate which reportedly inhibit the slugs from eating, and they crawl off and die. The best part about it is that it's not harmful to other critters such as birds, pets, or kiddies. AND, once the stuff breaks down, it provides nutrients to your soil. A win-win combination. My order arrived on Monday, and I sprinkled it in my strawberry bed. This morning was the first morning that *I* actually got some strawberries to eat before the slugs. There was no sign of slug damage to any of my freshly ripe fruit. I'm a believer! |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Slug eats slug | United Kingdom | |||
Fertilizer Preferences | Orchids | |||
Vine weevil preferences | United Kingdom | |||
slug and snail control | Gardening | |||
slug and snail control | Roses |