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#1
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
I've been forced to put down some snail pellets, because they've had every
single turnip seedling except one. If a bird eats a poisoned snail, will it poison the bird? Thanks Andrew |
#2
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
'Andy',
I think that his site will reassure you, but make sure to use the pelletts very sparingly. http://www.gardenseeker.com/slug%20pellets.htm Regards, Emrys Davies. "Andy Hunt" wrote in message news:uDgdc.89$Xc6.73@newsfe1-win... I've been forced to put down some snail pellets, because they've had every single turnip seedling except one. If a bird eats a poisoned snail, will it poison the bird? Thanks Andrew |
#3
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
'Andy',
Another helpful site, but the news here is definitely not good, to say the least. http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/Actives/Metaldeh.htm Regards, Emrys Davies. "Andy Hunt" wrote in message news:uDgdc.89$Xc6.73@newsfe1-win... I've been forced to put down some snail pellets, because they've had every single turnip seedling except one. If a bird eats a poisoned snail, will it poison the bird? Thanks Andrew |
#4
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
Andy Hunt wrote:
I've been forced to put down some snail pellets, because they've had every single turnip seedling except one. If a bird eats a poisoned snail, will it poison the bird? Thanks Andrew Yes. One possible problem is that soggy snail pellets can be mistaken for slugs, and eaten directly by Song Thrushes. It is possible to get a powder of the same composition as the pellets but which Song Thrushes can't mistake for slugs. Another problem is that poisoned slugs/snails don't die instantaneously - they do move around for a while before keeling over. So, Song Thrushes can eat what seems to be a healthy slug/snail which actually carrys a good dose of poison. The affects of snail/slug poisons on song birds, such as thrushes and blackbirds is poorly understood. A possible consequence is that rather than directly poisoning the birds, it leads to infertility. So, no obvious amd direct result from the use of snail/slug pellets but a long term consequence which is very difficult to trace back to the original poison. Of course, what you do in your garden is in practise completely insignificant to the poisons put down by farmers. I'd suggest you go organic - toads and frogs are much better (and cheaper) at keeping slugs and snails under control and buying organic food in the shops also helps reduce the use of poisons in the countryside. -- Larry Stoter |
#5
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
Of course, what you do in your garden is in practise completely insignificant to the poisons put down by farmers. -- Larry Stoter Yeah, right larry. If you knew anything about farming you would know that alot of them are realy strugging. Do you realy think they would apply an expensive *poisons* as you say, for no reason. Why have a go at farmers on this topic. I agree some farmers do 'nuke' anything in site, but please dont tar everyone with the same brush! As a gardeners a agree that slug pellets are nasty, and go out of our way not to use them. |
#6
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
I used to think that blackbirds and thrushes would not touch slugs and
snails that had been killed by pellets. I put down some pellets last year-they lay dry for about a fortnight. Heavy rain brought out the snails. They died in droves and with them a young thrush that had been eating the corpses. I'm now convinced that the demise of the song thrush is because of overuse of slug pellets by GARDENERS. I have stopped using metaldehyde pellets and put no toxic adsorbent as protection around special plants. I haven't worked out yet how to protect a Lewisia growing out of a wall. I may shell out for biological protection for my strawberries. "Jim S" wrote in message ... Of course, what you do in your garden is in practise completely insignificant to the poisons put down by farmers. -- Larry Stoter Yeah, right larry. If you knew anything about farming you would know that alot of them are realy strugging. Do you realy think they would apply an expensive *poisons* as you say, for no reason. Why have a go at farmers on this topic. I agree some farmers do 'nuke' anything in site, but please dont tar everyone with the same brush! As a gardeners a agree that slug pellets are nasty, and go out of our way not to use them. |
#7
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
I have to use slug pellets at plant times and other times as well, but only
when and where I have to. We have a very healthy bird population which is increasing every year and this spring we have 2 song thrushes singing their heads off about 18 hours a day. We also have foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, frogs and toads, and still get heavy flushes of slugs and snails. -- David Hill Abacus nurseries www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk |
#8
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
In article uDgdc.89$Xc6.73@newsfe1-win, Andy Hunt
writes I've been forced to put down some snail pellets, because they've had every single turnip seedling except one. If a bird eats a poisoned snail, will it poison the bird? Look . . . slugs and snails tend to come out at night and gobble up the slug pellets. This means they are dead by morning. Birds that eat slugs and snails are not carrion eaters. They will not touch anything already dead and they don't come out at night to eat something that may be dying. We usually use a few slug pellets early in the year and we have song thrushes, mistle thrushes and blackbirds in the same numbers (maybe even more as we have slowly provided more habitat) as we had 11 years ago. A few slug pellets, judiciously placed, will not harm birds. I really can't see any bird being stupid enough to eat a slug pellet . . . the smell wouldn't be right. -- Jane Ransom in Lancaster. I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see |
#9
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
David Hill8/4/04 10:36
I have to use slug pellets at plant times and other times as well, but only when and where I have to. We have a very healthy bird population which is increasing every year and this spring we have 2 song thrushes singing their heads off about 18 hours a day. We also have foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, frogs and toads, and still get heavy flushes of slugs and snails. IF anything must be used, can I recommend Sluggit which is watered on, not pellets which all manner of creatures can pick up. BUT and it is a very bit BUT, the gardener *must* remove the corpses as quickly as possible. The alternative is to go out late at night with a bucket of heavily salted water and drop slugs and snails into that. It is much safer for other creatures. -- Sacha (remove the weeds to email me) |
#10
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
In article , David Hill
wrote: We also have foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, frogs and toads, and still get heavy flushes of slugs and snails. Yeah, even in my small Brixton garden I have at least one toad and a family of foxes and they don't seem to make any impact at all on the damn slugs and snails. That, I'm afraid, is the ruddy balance of nature for you. Lazarus -- Remover the rock from the email address |
#11
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
david taylor wrote:
I used to think that blackbirds and thrushes would not touch slugs and snails that had been killed by pellets. I put down some pellets last year-they lay dry for about a fortnight. Heavy rain brought out the snails. They died in droves and with them a young thrush that had been eating the corpses. I'm now convinced that the demise of the song thrush is because of overuse of slug pellets by GARDENERS. I have stopped using metaldehyde pellets and put no toxic adsorbent as protection around special plants. I haven't worked out yet how to protect a Lewisia growing out of a wall. I may shell out for biological protection for my strawberries. "Jim S" wrote in message ... Of course, what you do in your garden is in practise completely insignificant to the poisons put down by farmers. -- Larry Stoter Gardens, even in SE Engalnd, cover a tiny fraction of the land. Farmers have a much greater influence on anything gardeners may do. That is not say that minmising the use of toxic chemical in gardens is not a good idea. -- Larry Stoter |
#12
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
Jim S wrote:
Of course, what you do in your garden is in practise completely insignificant to the poisons put down by farmers. -- Larry Stoter Yeah, right larry. If you knew anything about farming you would know that alot of them are realy strugging. Do you realy think they would apply an expensive *poisons* as you say, for no reason. Why have a go at farmers on this topic. I agree some farmers do 'nuke' anything in site, but please dont tar everyone with the same brush! As a gardeners a agree that slug pellets are nasty, and go out of our way not to use them. I'm perfectly well aware that many farmers are struggling, although I rather suspect that the agribusiness barons in E. Anglia with their acres of oil seed rape and tons of molluscides are doing rather well. I also understand perfectly well why some farmers do apply expensive poisons - which are often more toxic than those available to the general public. The molluscides are applied to increase yield and profit. These molluscides are at least implicated, directly or indirectly, in the decline of various bird species. So farmers do have a responsibility - and the use of a whole range of chemicals isn't going to solve the problems of farmers. I am actually generally pro-farmer - they have by far the greatest influence on the UK countryside and many do a good job at protecting and enhancing wildlife. They have also been very badly served by politicians and, in many cases, the NFU. I personally think that the UK farm community could learn a great deal from French farmers. -- Larry Stoter |
#13
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
If a bird eats a poisoned snail, will it poison the bird? Look . . . slugs and snails tend to come out at night and gobble up the slug pellets. This means they are dead by morning. Birds that eat slugs and snails are not carrion eaters. They will not touch anything already dead and they don't come out at night to eat something that may be dying. We usually use a few slug pellets early in the year and we have song thrushes, mistle thrushes and blackbirds in the same numbers (maybe even more as we have slowly provided more habitat) as we had 11 years ago. A few slug pellets, judiciously placed, will not harm birds. I really can't see any bird being stupid enough to eat a slug pellet . . . the smell wouldn't be right. I must admit that I don't have many birds in my garden anyway, because it is a town house - I get a few sparrows, and I'm sure I saw a great tit the other day, but I'm no expert. I also get pigeons on my window sills. I've never seen that many birds round my way, and certainly no blackbirds or anything similar, so hopefully I won't be doing any damage to the local bird population! I don't really like the idea of putting any kind of poison down, but the snails in my garden show me no mercy! Thanks everyone! Andy |
#14
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
In article uDgdc.89$Xc6.73@newsfe1-win, Andy Hunt
writes I've been forced to put down some snail pellets, because they've had every single turnip seedling except one. You haven't been forced, you've chosen to rather than accept the alternative of no turnips. ;-) -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm |
#15
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Poisoning snails - poisoning birds?
In article , Larry
Stoter writes Gardens, even in SE Engalnd, cover a tiny fraction of the land. Farmers have a much greater influence on anything gardeners may do. That is not say that minmising the use of toxic chemical in gardens is not a good idea. There seems to be evidence that gardens are now an important habitat for song birds, which are moving from farmland habitats into gardens. that would suggest that what we do in our gardens *is* important. -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm |
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