Talkback: Slugs and snails and pussycat tails - Page 2

@Unity, The newspaper works untill it rains!! Then it is soggy and no good. I use some old carpet and cut it to go round my pots and this works although next year I'll be planting in hanging baskets as they look beautiful............With regards to slugs/snails etc we have a garden hedged with Laurel, approx 30feet high, Not sure why but when we moved in there wasnt an inch of bark to be seen, it was covered top to bottom in snails of all shapes/colours and sizes. We went out the same night armed with a bucket and torch to collect them and deposit them in the woods over the road and lo and behold there wasn't a critter to be seen on the laurel.................they were covering the lawn, paths and pots scattered around the garden...........there were hundreds if not thousands of them. We collected them up over a few weeks and took them to the woods, we dont have a problem really with them now, maybe one or two hidden under the rim of the odd pot ...........maybe we have done them a favour and they have all found a happpy home and something nicer to eat in the woods............

Slugs 'n snails are like 'Homing Pidgeons' pick them up - throw them away- and they will return.

I collect most of mine in a small bag and deposit them about 5 miles away.

SORTED!!!

As previously mentioned, I have heard that the blighters do not like to make contact with copper. I have an old hot water tank to cut up and make some mini fences with. I will be watching closely and reporting back!

Copper does work and making a fence out of it sounds a good idea - make it high and deep enough for them not to climb over (they can climb up to a overhanging leaf!) or burrow underneath.

I have frogs in my garden and also many slugs - they rarely go for slugs as they prefer juicy worms. Perhaps Toads eat slugs more often and people get confused?

Slug pellets are the best thing I have used to get rid of them, at least for a few weeks. I only find really small ones now.

A not very nice way of ctching lots of slugs is to stab a large one with a brach or stick. It leaks its stomach and that attracts loads of nearby slugs by dusk  (slugs will eat other slugs and snails).

I get my little 5 year old nephew to go out and pick them up and put them in a pail, and then sprinkle salt over them.(hope I am not creating a psychopath!)

Tried giving them to the French restaurant ( who do have escargot on the menu) - but they only use imported ones. .

I have done the salt thing but then you end up with a disgusting bucket full of goo. My child is a compulsive snail squasher since we started our veg patch. I'm sure I should tell him it's not ok but then I catch sight of my delphiniums and........I agree about the nematodes being of limited use. Last time I had them the instructions went on about the coditions they needed to work properly - honestly how tough can they be if the wrong weather upsets them. For slugs you can't beat a pair of big scissors and a head torch. I do like animals honest!

I have a clay garden, plus all this rain means there are millions of them. I have sunk a couple of yoghurt pots either side of the raised bed, filled with beer. I have had to put a lid on them to keep the dog out.

I've also taped bubble wrap around the edge of the plastic greenhouse to seal it - they still get in.

now i've put anti slug gravel around the edges of all the pots - its broken up ceramics thats sharp and drys them out.

I gave in and bought slug pellets yesterday so fingers crossed.

Does the copper tape thing work? not enough birds in my garden yet.

Yes Copper tape does work. I have a new garden, so little bird life. Copper tape and Zinc troughs does seem to stop them. I also use pellets as it works. You can tell when you see all the slimy mess on the soil where they have died. I do not like killing them but I do spend hard earned money on plants for my pleasure, not their feast!