I just wanted to enquire in here about insects, weeds and elevation...
About 7 years ago we used to live at the top of the hill from where I live
now, we'd lived there for 30 years and in all that time I never saw one
snail, in fact I thought we lived in a part of the country where they hadn't
yet conquered, yet down here there are millions of the buggers - I only live
400 yards away from where I used to live!
The hill is about 40 feet in total height...we only ever had tiny black or
pale brown slugs, yet down here they are up to four inches long and an inch
thick, either bright orange or black...the soil down here is very sandy
underneath, up there it was a heavy clay type soil...is elevation to blame
for this or is it the soil type? - I'd have thought that with the extra
drainage down here they would be *less* suited than up there where rainwater
seemed to take days to get through the clay...also down here, there are a
hell of a lot more weeds, dandelions and horsetails being predominant along
with nettles, hardly any of these shown their faces much when living higher
up, we seemed to have more of those round leaved things (I've no idea what
they're called but they get a longish yellow seed stalk from the middle),
also we had buttercups and thistles aplenty but down here they don't seem to
get established(I'm not complaining!)...

Phil L wrote:
(I've no idea what they're called but they get
:: a longish yellow seed stalk from the middle),

Greater Plantain
(Plantago major)

http://www.stri.co.uk/133.asp?SID=&CSID=6

In article , Phil L
writes
I just wanted to enquire in here about insects, weeds and elevation...
About 7 years ago we used to live at the top of the hill from where I live
now, we'd lived there for 30 years and in all that time I never saw one
snail, in fact I thought we lived in a part of the country where they hadn't
yet conquered, yet down here there are millions of the buggers - I only live
400 yards away from where I used to live!
The hill is about 40 feet in total height...we only ever had tiny black or
pale brown slugs, yet down here they are up to four inches long and an inch
thick, either bright orange or black...the soil down here is very sandy
underneath, up there it was a heavy clay type soil...is elevation to blame
for this or is it the soil type? - I'd have thought that with the extra
drainage down here they would be *less* suited than up there where rainwater
seemed to take days to get through the clay..

Up to 7 years ago I hadn't seen a snail in our garden. Now we find them
by the handful. We haven't moved - it's still the same garden

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article , Phil L
writes
I just wanted to enquire in here about insects, weeds and
elevation...
About 7 years ago we used to live at the top of the hill from where
I live
now, we'd lived there for 30 years and in all that time I never saw
one
snail, in fact I thought we lived in a part of the country where
they hadn't
yet conquered, yet down here there are millions of the buggers - I
only live
400 yards away from where I used to live!
The hill is about 40 feet in total height...we only ever had tiny
black or
pale brown slugs, yet down here they are up to four inches long and
an inch
thick, either bright orange or black...the soil down here is very
sandy
underneath, up there it was a heavy clay type soil...is elevation
to blame
for this or is it the soil type? - I'd have thought that with the
extra
drainage down here they would be *less* suited than up there where
rainwater
seemed to take days to get through the clay..

Up to 7 years ago I hadn't seen a snail in our garden. Now we find
them
by the handful. We haven't moved - it's still the same garden

Ditto. And this year they are much worse than ever before.

Franz

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message ...
"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article , Phil L
writes
I just wanted to enquire in here about insects, weeds and
elevation...
About 7 years ago we used to live at the top of the hill from where
I live
now, we'd lived there for 30 years and in all that time I never saw
one
snail, in fact I thought we lived in a part of the country where
they hadn't
yet conquered, yet down here there are millions of the buggers - I
only live
400 yards away from where I used to live!
[...]

Up to 7 years ago I hadn't seen a snail in our garden. Now we find
them
by the handful. We haven't moved - it's still the same garden

Ditto. And this year they are much worse than ever before.

What's the local thrush population like? People have been worrying
about them for a while now. You'd normally expect predator population
to rise in proportion to that of their prey unless some other factor
were at work.

Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
om...
"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...
"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Phil L
writes
I just wanted to enquire in here about insects, weeds and
elevation...
About 7 years ago we used to live at the top of the hill from
where
I live
now, we'd lived there for 30 years and in all that time I never
saw
one
snail, in fact I thought we lived in a part of the country
where
they hadn't
yet conquered, yet down here there are millions of the
buggers - I
only live
400 yards away from where I used to live!
[...]

Up to 7 years ago I hadn't seen a snail in our garden. Now we
find
them
by the handful. We haven't moved - it's still the same garden

Ditto. And this year they are much worse than ever before.

What's the local thrush population like?

There are at least 2 breeding pairs in the close vicinity, and they
make much use of the garden. I don't think that is the root of the
problem. The snail population has simply exploded.

People have been worrying
about them for a while now. You'd normally expect predator
population
to rise in proportion to that of their prey unless some other factor
were at work.

Franz