This is terrible. My lupins are in absolute tatters. Has anyone
tried using copper wire (e.g. from domestic cables) as a slug
& snail barrier? I want to put something around the pots, you
see, but don't want to buy "slug tape" at a tenner for 4m!!
Would wire, rather than tape, work?

"Chris Bacon" wrote in message
...
This is terrible. My lupins are in absolute tatters. Has anyone
tried using copper wire (e.g. from domestic cables) as a slug
& snail barrier? I want to put something around the pots, you
see, but don't want to buy "slug tape" at a tenner for 4m!!
Would wire, rather than tape, work?

If they're in pots you can smear Vaseline round them.

Steve

"Chris Bacon" wrote in message
...
This is terrible. My lupins are in absolute tatters. Has anyone
tried using copper wire (e.g. from domestic cables) as a slug
& snail barrier? I want to put something around the pots, you
see, but don't want to buy "slug tape" at a tenner for 4m!!
Would wire, rather than tape, work?

Yes

Been there, done that, got the tee shirt when I did our raised beds with
16mm single strand, joined them all together and grounded them :-))

Cathodic Protection?
Potential between dis-similar metals
Copper to Ground?

Don't know, but it worked :-))

Mike


--
------------------------------------------------
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
International Festival of the Sea 28th June - 1st July 2007

We tried everything to deter slugs and snails and have found that sadly,
it's down to the old blue pellets. They are so far, the only thing that has
worked. Baby Bio make pellets that they say have an animal deterrant in them
so that cats and dogs don't eat them, but our lupins have really benefitted
from them this year.

Check 'em out at www.pennix.co.uk

"Chris Bacon" wrote in message
...
This is terrible. My lupins are in absolute tatters. Has anyone
tried using copper wire (e.g. from domestic cables) as a slug
& snail barrier? I want to put something around the pots, you
see, but don't want to buy "slug tape" at a tenner for 4m!!
Would wire, rather than tape, work?

On 15/6/06 16:43, in article
, "Nick Byford"
wrote:

We tried everything to deter slugs and snails and have found that sadly,
it's down to the old blue pellets. They are so far, the only thing that has
worked. Baby Bio make pellets that they say have an animal deterrant in them
so that cats and dogs don't eat them, but our lupins have really benefitted
from them this year.

Check 'em out at www.pennix.co.uk

"Chris Bacon" wrote in message
...
This is terrible. My lupins are in absolute tatters. Has anyone
tried using copper wire (e.g. from domestic cables) as a slug
& snail barrier? I want to put something around the pots, you
see, but don't want to buy "slug tape" at a tenner for 4m!!
Would wire, rather than tape, work?


IMO, if you must use a chemical deterrent, Sluggit is better and safer. The
OP might also like to look into using Nematodes when the time is right. And
plumbers' merchants sell copper wire.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

Nick Byford wrote in message
o.uk...
We tried everything to deter slugs and snails and have found that sadly,
it's down to the old blue pellets. They are so far, the only thing that
has
worked. Baby Bio make pellets that they say have an animal deterrant in
them
so that cats and dogs don't eat them, but our lupins have really
benefitted
from them this year.

So you have tried the copper wire and it didn't work???

fenwoman wrote:
Nick Byford wrote...
We tried everything to deter slugs and snails and have found that sadly,
it's down to the old blue pellets. They are so far, the only thing that
has
worked. Baby Bio make pellets that they say have an animal deterrant in
them so that cats and dogs don't eat them, but our lupins have really
benefitted from them this year.

So you have tried the copper wire and it didn't work???

I hope it will work - it would last for a very long time (copper
has been found "native", i.e. as metal, naturally occurring) and
as I've got a quantity of "old" cable it would be a good use
for it!

Well I would, but we have fairly conventional beds and the question would
be, where and how?
"fenwoman" wrote in message
...

Nick Byford wrote in message
o.uk...
We tried everything to deter slugs and snails and have found that sadly,
it's down to the old blue pellets. They are so far, the only thing that
has
worked. Baby Bio make pellets that they say have an animal deterrant in
them
so that cats and dogs don't eat them, but our lupins have really
benefitted
from them this year.

So you have tried the copper wire and it didn't work???

On 15/6/06 23:55, in article , "Chris Bacon"
wrote:

fenwoman wrote:
Nick Byford wrote...
We tried everything to deter slugs and snails and have found that sadly,
it's down to the old blue pellets. They are so far, the only thing that
has
worked. Baby Bio make pellets that they say have an animal deterrant in
them so that cats and dogs don't eat them, but our lupins have really
benefitted from them this year.

So you have tried the copper wire and it didn't work???

I hope it will work - it would last for a very long time (copper
has been found "native", i.e. as metal, naturally occurring) and
as I've got a quantity of "old" cable it would be a good use
for it!

We sell some pots and things made by the adults at the Camphill Community.
For the last couple of years they've been making copper rings pots can sit
on, or which can go around smallish plants. We could sell five times their
production if they were able to do it. People who buy them absolutely swear
by them.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

Nick Byford wrote in message
o.uk...
Well I would, but we have fairly conventional beds and the question would
be, where and how?
Ahh. It's just that you said "We tried everything " when clearly you
hadn't.
I don't understand how placing copper wire around plants or even a whole
bed, could be a problem. It would help what the problem was if you
explained. Perhaps you could just put the copper wire around the vulnerable
plants?

In article ,
(Nick Byford) wrote:

Baby Bio make pellets that they say have an animal deterrant in them
so that cats and dogs don't eat them

There's also Ferrous Phosphate blue pellets which are claimed to be less
toxic and work in the wet. Mine are "Growing Success" brand. Quite hard
to find and more expensive than metaldehyde.

I have had some success with a thick layer of vermiculite surrounding
seedlings.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

In article , ks (Mike)
wrote:

Cathodic Protection?
Potential between dis-similar metals
Copper to Ground?

The most convincing (but rare) explanation is that S'n'S don't like
getting even very dilute copper salts on their feet.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

In article ,
(Steve Harris) wrote:

In article , ks (Mike)
wrote:

Cathodic Protection?
Potential between dis-similar metals
Copper to Ground?

The most convincing (but rare) explanation is that S'n'S don't like
getting even very dilute copper salts on their feet.


Thats my preferred explanation too. I wouldn't have thought it would
be too difficult to rig an experiment where snails were asked to walk
across stainless steel wires with about half a volt between them or
across blotting paper soaked in 0.1% copper sulphate solution
and then rate the experiences on a scale of 1 to 10.
You'd need an animal experimentation licence and an ethics committee
etc etc.