The Year of the Slug

Have just seen Mathew Oates of the National Trust on BBC News website talking about winners and losers after the extreme weather conditions of the last 12 months. Apparently the slug loved 2012 for the rain and enough warmth to keep it happy, whereas bees didn't have enough warmth. Fungi found it too chilly also. He concludes that we haven't had a decent summer since 2006 and we really deserve to have one soon!

Oh wonderful. Roll on a hot summer, but just enough rain to help the plants! not enough to grow slugs, white fly, blight etc

Hey Artjak - Santa brought me a bright pink wheelbarrow

Bjay

Love the idea of bright pink barrow Tinkling but haven't space to wheel it now.  Yes slugs and snails have had a feast this year i think it's time for pellets now before they start breeding again.  I tried everything- including homemade garlic solution in  a spray which had some success but didn't cope later in the season.  hot spring/summer would be great 2013 as i have a milestone birthday to celebrate

I read in the Times (font of all knowledge paper) that the Spanish giant slug has done the dastardly deed of breeding with our native slug and now even  a bigger threat looms,will it be bigger slug pellets,tanker sized pots of beer to drown in,or will the french come to our rescue and pickle them.Hope they don't find their way to my kitchen.

• In a book I had for Xmas it gave a recipe for slug/garlic  solution. Thought i may try it, some success Bud, is better than no success.
• Bjay

I have tried a strong solution of garlic it spray and it did work to a degree but slugs will be slugs and they are crafty little gritters.

Tinkling...my thoughts are with you and your wheelbarrow...and my mind boggles when I read on another thread that you are keeping it in the kitchen. It is so good to know that other forum users know how to prioritise!

Budlea63; do you think it is worth using pellets this early in the year?

Well don't want it dirty - not yet

Tinkling, could you share this garlic recipe with the rest of us?

What Tinkling has kept quiet is that the pink wheelbarrow in the kitchen is full to the gunwales with sausage rolls, mince pies and chocolate log 

You can get a whole range of hand tools in pink, Tinkling, I've pink, spongy, handled secartars.

Read in a book yeaterday about beneficial planting and thyme planted along boarders repels slugs, might be worth a try if you have lots of thyme, they don't like the smell apparently but then it doesn't kill them so no doubt they would sliver off to eat another prize plant in your garden.   

hi artjak i just spray it on & around on tender plants on dry days but not when frost is forecast.  recipe:I put a whole garlic bulb in a pan of water and boil for 10 mins then leave to cool, strain and use it in a sprayer diluted 1 part to 10 parts water

Wheelbarrow was full of baby at one time. She didn't seem to mind

Heere's the recipe from my book:

Crush 2 bulbs of garlic - the whole head not a clove.

Boil briefly to soften in 1litre (2 pints) of water

Strain and top up mixture to 1l(2pts) again. Leave to cool

To use stir 1 tablespoon into 4.5l (1gall) of water sprinkle onto foligae and allow to dry. 

Here's the fun bit:

Apply in dry weather so the rain does not dilute the wash. Reapply every 2 weeks

Rather than beer for traps it says use a mixture of yeast and water and drink the beer!

is that to go with the snails as a sauce with the lettice?

Dried red lily beetles add that lovely bit of 'crunch'.

Urgh noticed at midnight last the slugs have already started munching my tete-te-tete daffs so sprayed old garlic spray around but I think may need light dusting of slug pellets

it suggests drowning the snails in garlic butter a la France!

With all these delights we won't go hungry in my garden 

OH wouldn't b persuaded but I love escargot with lashing of garlic