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A way to attract slugs
Dave Morgan
Posts: 3,123
in Talkback
I know this sounds contrary to everything we gardeners do to deter slugs from eating our precious plants, but how about attracting them without going on a torch light hunt or setting beer traps. The picture below has appeared on Facebook of a slug attractant.
This is tinned cat food soaked with water. It's meant as bird food but it certainly seems our slippery friends find it irresistible. Beats a moonlight slug hunt.
0
Posts
Find Hostas work a treat for me!
Sorry - just being silly
Oh dear, I saw the title and immediately thought of a giant human-sized slug fluttering pink eyelashes and going "Cooee boys!". Sorry, my mind may be irreversibly warped.
Well, the explosion has started here. Went out last night for about 20 minutes and got hundreds. One of my small aubretias had about 25 all to itself and 8 snails.
No idea Aym. Just thought it was interesting.
That looks more like a rat attracter to me!
I have yet to find a bird that will eat slugs, I collected loads up once, put on the bird feeder slab, they never touched them.
Ducks and geese gobble slugs voraciously; hens will eat them as well. Trouble is, they also eat your plants.
AYM: "Or break the fat ball everywhere near my vulnerable plants. " I read that as vulnerable parts.
Aym, if rats can swallow it, they will eat it! Everything you put out for birds, foxes, badgers or hedgehogs is food for rats. It is well known that thrushes eat snails, but generally, garden birds don't take many slugs and even if they ate their weight in them every day, we would still need a plague of birds to make a difference. Also, most slugs stay well hidden during the day and birds are not active after dark. I don't know what the answer is: I suppose that if we didn't garden, the population would fall to natural levels, but if we insist on putting out a leafy feast, we will get an explosion of slugs. Hey ho....