Talkback: Dealing with slugs and snails - Talkback

02/11/2011 at 13:59

I put the bad slugs (big or small black ones)out on the paths for the birds. I have robins and blackbirds who come to feed at this time of year from my a la carte menu. Any slugs with a yellow stomach are given leave to remain in the garden as these are beneficial. The berries this year are very abundant, but my bird colony likes to eat the grapes I have left on the vine for them first. Even the little black ornamental grapes on the front wall have been devoured. But then our mini heatwave in October made the grapes very sweet this year. I'm sure feeding your chickens such lovely protein from your snails will give you very rich orange yolks in your eggs Pippa. I don't mind that but cannot bear them being squashed underfoot

Gardeners' World Web User

02/11/2011 at 14:02

ps While I am collecting huge Bramblies this afternoon I must look for srawberries - thanks for the reminder.

Gardeners' World Web User

02/11/2011 at 15:01

I found not only strawberries to eat but lots more not quite ripe yet and lots in full flower. I think I might dig those plants up and plant them in pots to put in the conservatory with the hope of home-grown strawberries for Xmas. Do you think that would work, Pippa, or will there not be enough light?

Gardeners' World Web User

02/11/2011 at 16:12

And don't forget green tomatoes. I made a fabulous soup yesterday from all the remaining greenies!

Gardeners' World Web User

02/11/2011 at 19:48

I tried using nematode for the first time this year and it was fantastic - I shall definately use it again next year - the only downside is that it can be a little pricey, but it did save my precious crops! The strawberries and soup sound wonderful!

Gardeners' World Web User

03/11/2011 at 19:45

I think a lot of the reason we are all still struggling against slugs is because it's been so mild and the hedgerows are still laden with berries and fruits, this means that our garden birds such as thrushes who would normally feast in our gardens in October/November are still gorging on the natural food elsewhere. I have certainly noticed a massive decline in feathered visitors compared to last year when were in the big freeze!... What is everybody else experiencing as far as feathered visitors go at the moment?? I'm sure when they return they will gladly help you out by eating the odd slug and snail or two!? http://higgysgardenproject.blogspot.com/ Higgy

Gardeners' World Web User

04/11/2011 at 02:55

I have a flock of long tailed tits come to my garden every day but they don't eat slugs and snails, loads of different birds in fact but none of them are into snails and slugs, perhapes I feed them to well with my feeders, even the thrush that usually guards my holly tree isn't stripping the berries yet so it must be too warm at the moment.

Gardeners' World Web User

06/11/2011 at 19:18

My hens won't touch the big slugs with the "orange go faster stripe" down the side of them. They will eat anything else (although prefer me to crunch snails before feeding to them - fussy things!)

Gardeners' World Web User

28/11/2011 at 18:44

I comletely understand you! It is the same in our back yard! The snails over here in Mechelen, Belgium love my lovely basil & sage leaves a lot!

Lillybell

08/12/2011 at 22:09

We had a slug come into our kitchen. No sign of a track to tell us where he'd sneaked in. Threw him into the garden and some weeks later, he reappeared. This happened several times. In the end I tipped him into a plastic box, drove to the other end of town where the fields are and tipped him out. Since when (cross fingers) we have seen neither sight nor track of him.

Emma Crawforth

09/12/2011 at 12:20

Hello Lillybell,

I don't know whether you were able to listen to it, but Radio 4's Material World programme carried out an experiment to see whether snails have a homing instinct. They discovered that they did! Have a look at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-10856523

for more information. I think you've done the right thing taking your slug to the other side of town!

Emma

gardenersworld.com

Peat Ballan

09/12/2011 at 15:27

I have been considering perhaps the indecent ! What might the result be if one was to put the dreaded slug pellets down onto the soil and then raked it well into the soil below and out of sight of birds and hedgehogs & etc ? As the molluscs are active BELOW the surface, and will detect the bait there, will it reduce risk to wildlife ?

arthurparkinson

14/01/2012 at 19:28

NO! don't feed slugs or snails to your hens they will give them internal worms that can build up to damaging levels,ducks are a better choice for this as is stamping!

Peat Ballan

17/01/2012 at 20:10

The molluscs have an unerring homing device on them, andno matter what one does, the eggs will renew the supply of new generations of the little sods ! Just have a regular party time with stale beer, and let them get merry, lose the will to live, and dispose of them to the tip, or take them for a drive miles away.By and large, they are past caring by the time you collect them in the morning !

SkyeSteve

19/01/2012 at 09:15

The slugs loved my first attempt at rhubarb last year, but I eventually succeeded and had a good first years growth. Now I'm looking forward to it growing back up again for the first harvest later in the year. To keep the slugs down I bought a slug bell from Garden Organic. Does anyone have any experience with these and do they work?

Harry Sinclair

21/01/2012 at 15:59

Best solution to slugs and snails Bucket of (very) salty water and big stomping boots !

donmilne

19/04/2012 at 20:57

My garden gets cleared of slugs & snails every 3 months or so, I syphon out the bath water from the upstairs bathroom, it clears the garden for quite some time untill I see one or two on the lawn, then I know it's bathtime.
Don.

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