Newbie: Slug problem
 

This is my first posting to this group, and I do so on behalf of my wife a
new and inexperienced enthusiast of gardening.

Karen has noticed a profusion of tiny slugs appearing to come from beneath a
small area of timber decking and recalled having to deal with a large number
of gi-normous ones during the end of last summer.

Can anyone give some advice as to how to deal with the problem?

Our thanks in advance,
Dave Moore

Newbie: Slug problem
 

"Dave Moore" wrote in message
Karen has noticed a profusion of tiny slugs appearing to come from beneath
a
small area of timber decking and recalled having to deal with a large
number
of gi-normous ones during the end of last summer.
Can anyone give some advice as to how to deal with the problem?


As the slugs are underneath the decking, I'd sprinkle slug pellets between
the timber slats. The pellets are under the deck so can't be eaten by other
animals, and the slugs will die underneath the decking and so won't cause
problems for birds.

Newbie: Slug problem
 

In article , Dave Moore davidfhmo
writes
This is my first posting to this group, and I do so on behalf of my wife a
new and inexperienced enthusiast of gardening.

Karen has noticed a profusion of tiny slugs appearing to come from beneath a
small area of timber decking and recalled having to deal with a large number
of gi-normous ones during the end of last summer.

Can anyone give some advice as to how to deal with the problem?

What precisely is the problem? ;-)

That they're attacking your favourite plants?
Or that you don't like inadvertently stepping on them barefoot?

Tiny slugs are not necessarily baby big slugs. There's about 20
different species of slug, and they do a valuable job of hoovering up
decaying vegetation. The species that do most damage to plants are ones
that don't grow huge - the huge black ones are less of a problem for
plants. And some species are carnivorous and eat other slugs.

discouragement is always a good idea - basically, don't give them places
to shelter. Don't leave heaps of stones around, and don't cover areas
with large pieces of wood ;-)

Otherwise the options a

Poisoning (slug pellets, slug-killing liquids) with the possibility of
poisoning other things - there's argument about this. Or pour salt or
very strong coffee on them (the latter isn't yet of proven
effectiveness)

Slug traps - saucers of beer that they fall into and drown in.

Catch them (go out with a torch at night) and kill them by drowning in
salt water, cutting in half, or bagging up and putting them in the
freezer.

Protect your plants with physical barriers - crushed egg shells, dried
and broken up bracken, cinders, copper wire

Ignore them and avoid plants which are slug delicacies.

--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Newbie: Slug problem
 

In article , Dave Moore davidfhmo
writes
This is my first posting to this group, and I do so on behalf of my wife a
new and inexperienced enthusiast of gardening.

Karen has noticed a profusion of tiny slugs appearing to come from beneath a
small area of timber decking and recalled having to deal with a large number
of gi-normous ones during the end of last summer.

Can anyone give some advice as to how to deal with the problem?

What precisely is the problem? ;-)

That they're attacking your favourite plants?
Or that you don't like inadvertently stepping on them barefoot?

Tiny slugs are not necessarily baby big slugs. There's about 20
different species of slug, and they do a valuable job of hoovering up
decaying vegetation. The species that do most damage to plants are ones
that don't grow huge - the huge black ones are less of a problem for
plants. And some species are carnivorous and eat other slugs.

discouragement is always a good idea - basically, don't give them places
to shelter. Don't leave heaps of stones around, and don't cover areas
with large pieces of wood ;-)

Otherwise the options a

Poisoning (slug pellets, slug-killing liquids) with the possibility of
poisoning other things - there's argument about this. Or pour salt or
very strong coffee on them (the latter isn't yet of proven
effectiveness)

Slug traps - saucers of beer that they fall into and drown in.

Catch them (go out with a torch at night) and kill them by drowning in
salt water, cutting in half, or bagging up and putting them in the
freezer.

Protect your plants with physical barriers - crushed egg shells, dried
and broken up bracken, cinders, copper wire

Ignore them and avoid plants which are slug delicacies.

--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Newbie: Slug problem
 

In article , Dave Moore davidfhmo
writes
This is my first posting to this group, and I do so on behalf of my wife a
new and inexperienced enthusiast of gardening.

Karen has noticed a profusion of tiny slugs appearing to come from beneath a
small area of timber decking and recalled having to deal with a large number
of gi-normous ones during the end of last summer.

Can anyone give some advice as to how to deal with the problem?

What precisely is the problem? ;-)

That they're attacking your favourite plants?
Or that you don't like inadvertently stepping on them barefoot?

Tiny slugs are not necessarily baby big slugs. There's about 20
different species of slug, and they do a valuable job of hoovering up
decaying vegetation. The species that do most damage to plants are ones
that don't grow huge - the huge black ones are less of a problem for
plants. And some species are carnivorous and eat other slugs.

discouragement is always a good idea - basically, don't give them places
to shelter. Don't leave heaps of stones around, and don't cover areas
with large pieces of wood ;-)

Otherwise the options a

Poisoning (slug pellets, slug-killing liquids) with the possibility of
poisoning other things - there's argument about this. Or pour salt or
very strong coffee on them (the latter isn't yet of proven
effectiveness)

Slug traps - saucers of beer that they fall into and drown in.

Catch them (go out with a torch at night) and kill them by drowning in
salt water, cutting in half, or bagging up and putting them in the
freezer.

Protect your plants with physical barriers - crushed egg shells, dried
and broken up bracken, cinders, copper wire

Ignore them and avoid plants which are slug delicacies.

--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Newbie: Slug problem
 

In article , Dave Moore davidfhmo
writes
This is my first posting to this group, and I do so on behalf of my wife a
new and inexperienced enthusiast of gardening.

Karen has noticed a profusion of tiny slugs appearing to come from beneath a
small area of timber decking and recalled having to deal with a large number
of gi-normous ones during the end of last summer.

Can anyone give some advice as to how to deal with the problem?

What precisely is the problem? ;-)

That they're attacking your favourite plants?
Or that you don't like inadvertently stepping on them barefoot?

Tiny slugs are not necessarily baby big slugs. There's about 20
different species of slug, and they do a valuable job of hoovering up
decaying vegetation. The species that do most damage to plants are ones
that don't grow huge - the huge black ones are less of a problem for
plants. And some species are carnivorous and eat other slugs.

discouragement is always a good idea - basically, don't give them places
to shelter. Don't leave heaps of stones around, and don't cover areas
with large pieces of wood ;-)

Otherwise the options a

Poisoning (slug pellets, slug-killing liquids) with the possibility of
poisoning other things - there's argument about this. Or pour salt or
very strong coffee on them (the latter isn't yet of proven
effectiveness)

Slug traps - saucers of beer that they fall into and drown in.

Catch them (go out with a torch at night) and kill them by drowning in
salt water, cutting in half, or bagging up and putting them in the
freezer.

Protect your plants with physical barriers - crushed egg shells, dried
and broken up bracken, cinders, copper wire

Ignore them and avoid plants which are slug delicacies.

--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Newbie: Slug problem
 

"Dave Moore" wrote in message
...
This is my first posting to this group, and I do so on behalf of my wife a
new and inexperienced enthusiast of gardening.

Karen has noticed a profusion of tiny slugs appearing to come from beneath
a
small area of timber decking and recalled having to deal with a large
number
of gi-normous ones during the end of last summer.

Can anyone give some advice as to how to deal with the problem?

There are a myriad of hints and tips for dealing with a slug problem. None
of them work reliably. The only treatment which I have found to actually
deal with the problem is to scatter metaldehyde crumbs (ordinary common or
garden slug killer) near where the damage is being done.

Franz

Newbie: Slug problem
 

"Dave Moore" wrote in message
...
This is my first posting to this group, and I do so on behalf of my wife a
new and inexperienced enthusiast of gardening.

Karen has noticed a profusion of tiny slugs appearing to come from beneath
a
small area of timber decking and recalled having to deal with a large
number
of gi-normous ones during the end of last summer.

Can anyone give some advice as to how to deal with the problem?

There are a myriad of hints and tips for dealing with a slug problem. None
of them work reliably. The only treatment which I have found to actually
deal with the problem is to scatter metaldehyde crumbs (ordinary common or
garden slug killer) near where the damage is being done.

Franz

Newbie: Slug problem
 

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 21:33:58 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Dave Moore" wrote in message
...
This is my first posting to this group, and I do so on behalf of my wife a
new and inexperienced enthusiast of gardening.

Karen has noticed a profusion of tiny slugs appearing to come from beneath
a
small area of timber decking and recalled having to deal with a large
number
of gi-normous ones during the end of last summer.

Can anyone give some advice as to how to deal with the problem?

There are a myriad of hints and tips for dealing with a slug problem. None
of them work reliably. The only treatment which I have found to actually
deal with the problem is to scatter metaldehyde crumbs (ordinary common or
garden slug killer) near where the damage is being done.

A recent tip in rec.gardens suggested a disposable slug/snail trap
made from a plastic soda bottle: cut off the top 1/3rd; put slug
bait/poison in the bottom part; reverse the top 3rd (you *will* have
discarded the cap, right?) and insert; staple for secure operation;
and arrange this on its side on the soil.

The picture shows to lay the trap on its side.
__________
| \ )
| o )
|_/___bait__)

Newbie: Slug problem
 

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 21:33:58 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Dave Moore" wrote in message
...
This is my first posting to this group, and I do so on behalf of my wife a
new and inexperienced enthusiast of gardening.

Karen has noticed a profusion of tiny slugs appearing to come from beneath
a
small area of timber decking and recalled having to deal with a large
number
of gi-normous ones during the end of last summer.

Can anyone give some advice as to how to deal with the problem?

There are a myriad of hints and tips for dealing with a slug problem. None
of them work reliably. The only treatment which I have found to actually
deal with the problem is to scatter metaldehyde crumbs (ordinary common or
garden slug killer) near where the damage is being done.

A recent tip in rec.gardens suggested a disposable slug/snail trap
made from a plastic soda bottle: cut off the top 1/3rd; put slug
bait/poison in the bottom part; reverse the top 3rd (you *will* have
discarded the cap, right?) and insert; staple for secure operation;
and arrange this on its side on the soil.

The picture shows to lay the trap on its side.
__________
| \ )
| o )
|_/___bait__)

Newbie: Slug problem
 

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 21:33:58 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Dave Moore" wrote in message
...
This is my first posting to this group, and I do so on behalf of my wife a
new and inexperienced enthusiast of gardening.

Karen has noticed a profusion of tiny slugs appearing to come from beneath
a
small area of timber decking and recalled having to deal with a large
number
of gi-normous ones during the end of last summer.

Can anyone give some advice as to how to deal with the problem?

There are a myriad of hints and tips for dealing with a slug problem. None
of them work reliably. The only treatment which I have found to actually
deal with the problem is to scatter metaldehyde crumbs (ordinary common or
garden slug killer) near where the damage is being done.

A recent tip in rec.gardens suggested a disposable slug/snail trap
made from a plastic soda bottle: cut off the top 1/3rd; put slug
bait/poison in the bottom part; reverse the top 3rd (you *will* have
discarded the cap, right?) and insert; staple for secure operation;
and arrange this on its side on the soil.

The picture shows to lay the trap on its side.
__________
| \ )
| o )
|_/___bait__)

Newbie: Slug problem
 

"Leroy Brown" wrote in message
...

Don't be so stupid. Poisoning slugs is completely unnecessary, not to
mention very harmful to yourselves as the residues soak into your
produce but also wildlife that eat slugs etc.

Most situations we are able to live side by side with slugs, as other
wildlife, in the very rare cases where they are destroying your
produce it's because you are too stupid to think ahead, Sand spread
around crops that need protecting is perfectly adequate to deter
99.999999% of slugs, so get ****ing real. If you cant manage a garden
properly then **** off and take up train spotting.

Pricks.

Mr.Pricks, May I suggest you acquire a compendium of adjectives, a course in
writing good English prose and some soap for washing out your mouth?

Franz

Newbie: Slug problem
 

"Leroy Brown" wrote in message
...

Don't be so stupid. Poisoning slugs is completely unnecessary, not to
mention very harmful to yourselves as the residues soak into your
produce but also wildlife that eat slugs etc.

Most situations we are able to live side by side with slugs, as other
wildlife, in the very rare cases where they are destroying your
produce it's because you are too stupid to think ahead, Sand spread
around crops that need protecting is perfectly adequate to deter
99.999999% of slugs, so get ****ing real. If you cant manage a garden
properly then **** off and take up train spotting.

Pricks.

Mr.Pricks, May I suggest you acquire a compendium of adjectives, a course in
writing good English prose and some soap for washing out your mouth?

Franz

Newbie: Slug problem
 

Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:185723

The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains these words:

(snip) May I suggest you (snip)

May I suggest that if you must encourage trolls by talking to them,
you don't repost copies of their offensive messages, thereby giving them
double coverage and rescuing them from killfiles.

Janet

Newbie: Slug problem
 

Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:185723

The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains these words:

(snip) May I suggest you (snip)

May I suggest that if you must encourage trolls by talking to them,
you don't repost copies of their offensive messages, thereby giving them
double coverage and rescuing them from killfiles.

Janet