Hi
We have a peanut feeder which was hanging from, and resting against, a full
height larchlap fence panel.

We got slugs climbing up the fence to get at the peanuts, so last weekend I
put a block on the fence so the feeder free-hangs about 3/4" away from it.
Got up this morning to find two slugs on it, one with it's back half on the
fence, leaning across the gap, with its mouth parts grabbing a peanut
through the wire of the feeder !

Much as I admire their tenacity and effort, what can I do to discourage
them, without annoying the family of mice that live in the Ivy on the next
fence panel, and run along the top of the wall so they can hop down on to
the feeder ?

(I've put another freehanging peanut feeder up elsewhere so the birds can
get a look in !)

"Mike" wrote in message
...
Hi
We have a peanut feeder which was hanging from, and resting
against, a full
height larchlap fence panel.

We got slugs climbing up the fence to get at the peanuts, so last
weekend I
put a block on the fence so the feeder free-hangs about 3/4" away
from it.
Got up this morning to find two slugs on it, one with it's back
half on the
fence, leaning across the gap, with its mouth parts grabbing a
peanut
through the wire of the feeder !

Much as I admire their tenacity and effort, what can I do to
discourage
them, without annoying the family of mice that live in the Ivy on
the next
fence panel, and run along the top of the wall so they can hop down
on to
the feeder ?

(I've put another freehanging peanut feeder up elsewhere so the
birds can
get a look in !)

I've always admired slugs' alpinist talents, though baffled by why
they climb up featureless twenty-foot walls with no food in sight.

Surely the mice will survive anyway? I imagine you've ruled out a
hanging-basket bracket on the fence and hanging the feeder with a bit
of nylon for their sake. If it's true that slugs won't crawl on
copper -- and I rather doubt the claim -- maybe you could build in a
copper something: perhaps hang the feeder from a bit of wire, or a
bracket made of copper pipe? This wouldn't worry the mice.

I love this problem: tell us more as it happens!

Mike.

Cheers

a bracket that hangs further out with copper tape on it might be the way to
go.

I'm just a bit concerned it may be a bit to exposed for the mice - I haven't
seen them on the feeder since I moved it last weekend .

Mike

"Mike" wrote in
:


Much as I admire their tenacity and effort, what can I do to
discourage them, without annoying the family of mice that live in the
Ivy on the next fence panel, and run along the top of the wall so they
can hop down on to the feeder ?

1) are you really sure you want to go on feeding the mice? They may be
cute now, but if you supply an unlimited quantity of high-fat nutritious
food, there are soon going to be an awful lot of them!

2) get some copper tape and attach it to the fence where the slugs need
to sit to get at the feeder.

This really does work, unlikely though it seems. I had the same problem
with slugs climbing into my rabbits' house and pinching their food.
Copper tape around the edge of the bowl stopped the problem completely
and immediately.

You may find your mice have a similar tendency to my rabbits and will
strip the copper off over time (the peeling action seemed like fun to
them!)

However, I found that the slugs 'learnt' their lesson, and did not return
even though the bunnies had peeled off most of the tape after a few
months.

Now, a year or so later, I am starting to find slugs in the bowl again
occasionally, and must get round to to applying another layer of copper
tape.

Actually this poses interesting questions about the intelligence of
slugs: I must say I had assumed that learning would be beyond them, but I
can't think of any other explanation, barring a freak series of
accidents, and your account suggests your slugs had 'learnt' the location
of your peanuts too.

There used to be about 6 that would turn up in the bowl each night (and
be flung away by me in fury in the morning): I originally assumed these
were random wanderers, but now I wonder if they were actually the same
slugs every night?

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

"Victoria Clare" wrote

2) get some copper tape and attach it to the fence where the slugs need
to sit to get at the feeder.

This really does work, unlikely though it seems. I had the same problem
with slugs climbing into my rabbits' house and pinching their food.
Copper tape around the edge of the bowl stopped the problem completely
and immediately.

It is a very cheap and rough larch lap panel, so I wonder if the copper tape
will adhere for any length on time - got to be worth a try though !

As for the mouse population, there are enough (too many !) cats in the area
to control that
Mike
with a garden in Wigan, facing rainclouds in every direction

"Mike" wrote in
:

Copper tape around the edge of the bowl stopped the problem
completely and immediately.

It is a very cheap and rough larch lap panel, so I wonder if the
copper tape will adhere for any length on time - got to be worth a try
though !

Maybe cut a bit of copper pipe in half, flatten, and nail to the post then?

I don't think the 'tape' element is important!

Victoria

--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...

I love this problem: tell us more as it happens!

Mike.



don't know if it's just weather related as I've not had the opportunity to
put any copper tape up, but there's been no signs of the slugs this weekend
and the mice have definately returned !

The slugs seem to have given up, the mice are back, and for the first time
since spring we actually had tits (blue & great) on the feeder this weekend.
Whatever next ?

"Mike" wrote in message
...

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...

I love this problem: tell us more as it happens!

Mike.



don't know if it's just weather related as I've not had the opportunity to
put any copper tape up, but there's been no signs of the slugs this
weekend
and the mice have definately returned !

"Jill" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 09:40:42 +0100, "Mike" wrote:




**********************************************




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reply to alan(dot)holmes27(at)virgin(dot)net

In article ,
writes

Why do you keep sending this rubbish?

Why do you repost it? It just gives it a wider readership than it
otherwise would have.
--
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"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article ,
writes

Why do you keep sending this rubbish?

Why do you repost it? It just gives it a wider readership than it
otherwise would have.

I only reposted the offending part in order to get the perpetrator to
alter it so the rest of us would not have to have to download a lot
of rubbish each time this person posts an article.

--
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reply to alan(dot)holmes27(at)virgin(dot)net

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

In article ,
writes

"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article ,
writes

Why do you keep sending this rubbish?

Why do you repost it? It just gives it a wider readership than it
otherwise would have.

I only reposted the offending part in order to get the perpetrator to
alter it so the rest of us would not have to have to download a lot
of rubbish each time this person posts an article.

The person in question knows precisely what he/she is doing and will not
change his/her posting habits purely in response to your or my wishes.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article ,
writes

"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article ,
writes

Why do you keep sending this rubbish?

Why do you repost it? It just gives it a wider readership than it
otherwise would have.

I only reposted the offending part in order to get the perpetrator to
alter it so the rest of us would not have to have to download a lot
of rubbish each time this person posts an article.

The person in question knows precisely what he/she is doing and will not
change his/her posting habits purely in response to your or my wishes.

Then I will have to report her to her isp for abuse of the net.

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