What is the best way to get rid of snails and slugs without harming the
lizards and frogs in the garden? I just saw the greatgranddaddy of all
snails in my amaryllis. I want to get rid of them but I don't want to harm
the other wildlife living in the garden (Anoles, Geckos, and several kinds
of frogs). I have heard a saucer of beer or grape juice will work but
wouldn't that attract ants? I already have to fight fire ants in my yard on
a regular basis, I sure don't need them up closer to the house.

Any advice is appreciated

Shell

In article , "Shell91"
wrote:

What is the best way to get rid of snails and slugs without harming the
lizards and frogs in the garden? I just saw the greatgranddaddy of all
snails in my amaryllis. I want to get rid of them but I don't want to harm
the other wildlife living in the garden (Anoles, Geckos, and several kinds
of frogs). I have heard a saucer of beer or grape juice will work but
wouldn't that attract ants? I already have to fight fire ants in my yard on
a regular basis, I sure don't need them up closer to the house.

Any advice is appreciated

Shell

Well, the SAFEST thing to do is go out at night with a flashlight & gather
them up & drop 'em in soapy water in a container they can't climb out of.
If you gather up all the adults before they reproduce things will get
dramatically better slug-wise, the tiny ones you miss don't do the most
damage, & getting rid of the big ones before they reproduce causes a
dramatic overall slug population drop.

Beer traps do attract slugs but don't reliably kill them unless the trap
is deep enough they can't reach over the top to get out (so saucers don't
work, slugs climb right off the saucers, but Yoplay yogurt plastic cups
are just barely too deep for a slug to climb out of, so it drowns in the
beer). Such a trap would also endanger frogs & small lizards & beneficial
insects that per chance fell in, without really resulting in a dramatic
lessening of the slug population.

Sluggo or Escar-Go destroys slugs' & snails' ability to eat anything at
all -- yet is non-toxic to plant & animal life other than mollusc -- even
if something eats the starving slugs, there's nothing in them that is
toxic to other animals, as these products are really nothing but iron
phosphate. It works way better than the approved poison baits that do
endanger other animals, & usually the iron boost that results from Iron
phosphate slug bait has a totally healthy effect on the soil.

I am super-reluctant to use even "organic" chemicals in my garden, but
Sluggo iron phosphate is hardly anything but fertilizer. I used briefly
earlier this year & it took care of the slugs for months; haven't as yet
needed it again, though probably will when weather's damp again.

I posted previously about Iron phosphate to control slugs, he
http://groups.google.com/groups?selm...utput=gpla in
My suspicion is that all other products will over time vanish from the
marketplace as people figure out Iron phoshate is more effective without
sharing the harmful potential of other slug baits.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

Thanks for the advice. I will have to try the iron phosphate. I really
don't want to harm the lizards, they keep the mosquitos down along with the
roaches. Last night's gecko count was 20 on the garage wall You should
hear them chirping and singing since it rained.
Shell


"paghat" wrote in message
news
In article , "Shell91"
wrote:

What is the best way to get rid of snails and slugs without harming the
lizards and frogs in the garden? I just saw the greatgranddaddy of all
snails in my amaryllis. I want to get rid of them but I don't want to
harm
the other wildlife living in the garden (Anoles, Geckos, and several
kinds
of frogs). I have heard a saucer of beer or grape juice will work but
wouldn't that attract ants? I already have to fight fire ants in my
yard on
a regular basis, I sure don't need them up closer to the house.

Any advice is appreciated

Shell

Well, the SAFEST thing to do is go out at night with a flashlight & gather
them up & drop 'em in soapy water in a container they can't climb out of.
If you gather up all the adults before they reproduce things will get
dramatically better slug-wise, the tiny ones you miss don't do the most
damage, & getting rid of the big ones before they reproduce causes a
dramatic overall slug population drop.

Beer traps do attract slugs but don't reliably kill them unless the trap
is deep enough they can't reach over the top to get out (so saucers don't
work, slugs climb right off the saucers, but Yoplay yogurt plastic cups
are just barely too deep for a slug to climb out of, so it drowns in the
beer). Such a trap would also endanger frogs & small lizards & beneficial
insects that per chance fell in, without really resulting in a dramatic
lessening of the slug population.

Sluggo or Escar-Go destroys slugs' & snails' ability to eat anything at
all -- yet is non-toxic to plant & animal life other than mollusc -- even
if something eats the starving slugs, there's nothing in them that is
toxic to other animals, as these products are really nothing but iron
phosphate. It works way better than the approved poison baits that do
endanger other animals, & usually the iron boost that results from Iron
phosphate slug bait has a totally healthy effect on the soil.

I am super-reluctant to use even "organic" chemicals in my garden, but
Sluggo iron phosphate is hardly anything but fertilizer. I used briefly
earlier this year & it took care of the slugs for months; haven't as yet
needed it again, though probably will when weather's damp again.

I posted previously about Iron phosphate to control slugs, he

http://groups.google.com/groups?selm...40soggy72.driz
zle.com&output=gplain
My suspicion is that all other products will over time vanish from the
marketplace as people figure out Iron phoshate is more effective without
sharing the harmful potential of other slug baits.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

Sluggo or Escar-Go destroys slugs' & snails' ability to eat anything at
all -- yet is non-toxic to plant & animal life other than mollusc -- even
if something eats the starving slugs, there's nothing in them that is
toxic to other animals, as these products are really nothing but iron
phosphate. It works way better than the approved poison baits that do
endanger other animals, & usually the iron boost that results from Iron
phosphate slug bait has a totally healthy effect on the soil.

Maybe there's still hope for my hosta population, which I have rescued to
recover in pots after a year of being little more than slug fodder.
zemedelec