SLUGS
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The UK directory of garden related websites.

If there are two words that strike fear into the hearts of gardeners
and make them drop their spades in sheer terror and rage it is Slugs
and Snails. These odd wet lumps of frog like flesh are good at very
few things, but one thing they do excellently is to eat large chunks
of prize flowers and plants. To the amateur there seems little
difference between the two apart from the fact one has a portable
shelter on its back. Both like damp dark conditions and both have male
and female bits, so two are not needed to tango. Being Hermaphrodites,
a lonely waltz does the trick for reproduction.

- Keep your garden tidy, this will reduce the number of shady spots
where they can hide out.
- Place crushed shell, eggshells, used coffee or grit around plants as
neither like sliming their bodies over it. Most uncomfortable!
- Their favourite tipple is beer, place a beer trap in the garden and
the binge drinkers will flock to it gasping to dive in it and die
happy and drunk.
- If using nasty chemicals, USE SPARINGLY, don't nuke your garden with
it, think targeted assasination. Sprinkle conservatively around prize
plants.
- In every battle it helps to have allies. Hedgehogs, frogs, toads,
shrews and ground beetles will all help keep snails and slugs at bay,
so encourage them to visit your garden.
- Thrushes will batter the snails shells until they break up, using
their beaks, provide a flat stone so they can do it properly.
Battering them on grass will just give the snails a headache.
- One of the most effective ways to address the problem is a nightime
ambush. Using a torch, just go round and collect them all up and
either squish them underfoot or if you prefer, take your prisoners on
a car journey or walk and leave them in a field a few miles from your
garden, don't discard too close to home as snails tend to have in
built GPS and it won't be long before you hear a slimey "Hi honey, I'm
home!!!".

http://www.gardennetlinks.co.uk
The UK directory of garden related websites.

"Smiler" wrote in message
ups.com...

....

- One of the most effective ways to address the problem is a nightime
ambush. Using a torch, just go round and collect them all up and
either squish them underfoot or if you prefer, take your prisoners on
a car journey or walk and leave them in a field a few miles from your
garden, don't discard too close to home as snails tend to have in
built GPS and it won't be long before you hear a slimey "Hi honey, I'm
home!!!".

The best solution if you collect them at night is to put them in a plastic,
lidded container in the freezer. That will kill them humanely (unlike
stamping on them) and you can discard the lot in the bin.

Mary

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
et...

"Smiler" wrote in message
ups.com...

...

- One of the most effective ways to address the problem is a nightime
ambush. Using a torch, just go round and collect them all up and
either squish them underfoot or if you prefer, take your prisoners on
a car journey or walk and leave them in a field a few miles from your
garden, don't discard too close to home as snails tend to have in
built GPS and it won't be long before you hear a slimey "Hi honey, I'm
home!!!".

The best solution if you collect them at night is to put them in a
plastic, lidded container in the freezer. That will kill them humanely
(unlike stamping on them) and you can discard the lot in the bin.

Mary

And if you are disorganised like us and save oddments of meals and meat in
the freezer, in such containers (unmarked), you could easily end up with
slug and chips for dinner.

"... Darling these little pieces of chicken taste unusual"

David.

on 09/07/2007, David (Normandy) supposed :
"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
et...

"Smiler" wrote in message
ups.com...

...

- One of the most effective ways to address the problem is a nightime
ambush. Using a torch, just go round and collect them all up and
either squish them underfoot or if you prefer, take your prisoners on
a car journey or walk and leave them in a field a few miles from your
garden, don't discard too close to home as snails tend to have in
built GPS and it won't be long before you hear a slimey "Hi honey, I'm
home!!!".

The best solution if you collect them at night is to put them in a plastic,
lidded container in the freezer. That will kill them humanely (unlike
stamping on them) and you can discard the lot in the bin.

Mary

And if you are disorganised like us and save oddments of meals and meat in
the freezer, in such containers (unmarked), you could easily end up with slug
and chips for dinner.

"... Darling these little pieces of chicken taste unusual"

David.

Well,you are in France. ;o)

--
Regards From
Wane Smooth

Help feed the Hungry,goto
http://www.thehungersite.com
It's Free!

I've always been told to set out cups with beer pushed into the ground
and the slugs will crawl in and die but who wants to waste beer on the
slimy *******s LOL.

I use Dead Line sparingly. My favorite method of dealing with slugs is
to go out at night with a flashlight and a rock and smash them :-)

Denise

Tour my gardens:

http://web1.in4web.com/mtcdrc

- Their favourite tipple is beer, place a beer trap in the garden and
the binge drinkers will flock to it gasping to dive in it and die
happy and drunk.

Hi , I'm overrun with slugs & snails and thinking of a beer trap
can you give more info how to set one up and does it attract
snails as well as slugs.

Wally

I do the night patrol with the kids, buckets and spades. Dad holds the torch.

"Denise" wrote in message
...
I've always been told to set out cups with beer pushed into the ground
and the slugs will crawl in and die but who wants to waste beer on the
slimy *******s LOL.

I use Dead Line sparingly. My favorite method of dealing with slugs is
to go out at night with a flashlight and a rock and smash them :-)

A saltcellar is just as effective and less energetic!

"Smiler" wrote in message
ups.com...

- One of the most effective ways to address the problem is a nightime
ambush. Using a torch, just go round and collect them all up and
either squish them underfoot or if you prefer, take your prisoners on
a car journey or walk and leave them in a field a few miles from your
garden, don't discard too close to home as snails tend to have in
built GPS and it won't be long before you hear a slimey "Hi honey, I'm
home!!!".

DO NOT under any circumstances put them in any field, all you will be doing
is to lumber some other poor devil with the problem, ALWAYS KILL the
buggers.

A beer trap can be made by digging a small hole like golf hole and put
a plastic cup inside, a plastic pint pot is ideal. fill half way with
lager or beer and they will be drawn towards it like binge drinkers to
a neon bar sign. I think it will work with snails as well but not 100%
certain.


The advice to have a paving slab for thrushes to bash snails with is a
good one if you have no hard surface near your garden for example a
gravel path. I saw one just yesterday cracking a snail open and having
a good feast.

The advice to have a paving slab for thrushes to bash snails with is a
good one if you have no hard surface near your garden for example a
gravel path. I saw one just yesterday cracking a snail open and having
a good feast.


What! Without any garlic butter on it?

David.

"Smiler" wrote in message
oups.com...



The advice to have a paving slab for thrushes to bash snails with is a
good one if you have no hard surface near your garden for example a
gravel path. I saw one just yesterday cracking a snail open and having
a good feast.

But you need thrushes. There are none hereabouts these days :-(

Mary

"David (Normandy)" wrote in message
...
The advice to have a paving slab for thrushes to bash snails with is a
good one if you have no hard surface near your garden for example a
gravel path. I saw one just yesterday cracking a snail open and having
a good feast.


What! Without any garlic butter on it?

David.

Garlic butter is delicious but any food which needs it doesn't have enough
flavour of its own.

Mary