BBC Gardeners' World

Comments

• ginjosie

  08 November 2007, 07.06PM

  We ran a similar test this year to trap flies and wasps. The mixture beer+wine won. Anything with "surrogate sugar" was hopeless. We did not try alcohol-free beer (alcohol-free beer is so not-done in Belgium). The strange thing was, once we had a few bodies trapped in a bottle, it went much faster. Is this the same for slugs or do you have to clean the traps every day or so?

• Mary

  08 November 2007, 08.51PM

  I have been devastated to find the depths of viciousness to which I have sunk. I cannot see a slug without KILLING it. Do I need therapy? Help!

• Pippa Greenwood

  09 November 2007, 02.10PM

  Ginjosie - interesting to hear about the fly traps, I'll use that next year...they're less of an issue now that temperatures are dropping...that is until you open one of the 'chosen' windows in the top of the house and they hurtle out from the frames!!! YUK!

  Mary - suffice to say...'you and me both'...there are a few things which seem to escape my usually rather pacifist outlook!

• alyson

  09 November 2007, 06.50PM

  I HATE SNAILS!!! I have a v large Skimmia japonica which during the summer housed hundreds of snails under the leaves. I regularly had to harvest them into a large bucket of hot salty water. LOVELY!!! I think I may need therapy too!!

• Jan Wilson

  09 November 2007, 07.48PM

  There was a comment on Gardener's World a few years ago, to the effect that it was useless to toss surplus snails into the neighbour's garden, owing to their strong homing sense. The presenter went on to say "if you don't believe me, try painting their shells with nail polish before you toss them!" I tried it by painting a snails shell and then carrying it down the garden - it took 5 days to return. Having painted others using several different colours and tried the same thing I would say a) they certainly live for many years as we still have the originals b) you can easily see them and so don't tread on them and c) a mossy wall after rain is like a field of jewels - try it if you don't believe me!

• Stuart

  09 November 2007, 11.15PM

  I have got myself a couple of chickens which I keep in a coop. I go out at night and collect the slugs and snails and feed them to the chickens. They absolutely love them, and if you crush the shells of the snails it gives them the calcium they need to make their egg shells when they eat them. If you don't crush the shells they don't seem to bother eating them. Alternatively eat the snails yourself just make sure you clean them first. Perhaps 'Gardeners World' could publish an article on how to clean them. I clean them with carrot which shows up orange when they are ready. Bit of Garlic Butter and ooh la la! Delicious.

• Maire

  10 November 2007, 04.37PM

  The problem with beer traps etc is that I've found other beasties in the mix - I only want rid of slugs and snails. My husband had some old copper pipe that I placed next to some snails. They recoiled every time they got near.

• Tony

  10 November 2007, 04.37PM

  I hate slugs all that hard work we do just for the slugs and snails to eat. Try bran around you plants and vegs, it works for me and my friends.

• Elliott Carter

  11 November 2007, 03.35PM

  There a Nightmare, Some times you could kill them but I just put them in the Gardening Bin!

• Sue

  11 November 2007, 04.21PM

  Mary, I think I may need to join you in therapy! I seem to have been in a constant battle with slugs and snails this year. We have now put in a pond in the hope that the frogs will help keep the slugs and snails down next year. I wish I could attract a resident hedgehog (I am awaiting delivery of a hedgehog lodge) to help in the battle against the blighters and to help me keep what sanity I have left!!

• Chris

  11 November 2007, 05.28PM

  An American friend uses a solution of ammonia and water and 'hits slugs like a squirt gun'. I have not tried this yet, but it conjures up quite a picture.

• john

  12 November 2007, 03.48PM

  I find a small bowl of water with a squirt of washing up liquid does the trick, pick up your slug/snail drop them in the bowl and hey presto they are done for.

• john

  12 November 2007, 03.48PM

  I find a small bowl of water with a squirt of washing up liquid does the trick, pick up your slug/snail drop them in the bowl and hey presto they are done for.

• M.T. Hulme

  13 November 2007, 08.17PM

  Have you tried SLUG GONE. Safe for Environment, safe for Wildlife/Birds(Hedgehogs). A must to try.

• Colin

  14 November 2007, 01.49PM

  An old gardener advised me to drink the beer before deploying it in the traps. It works too!

• Knotty

  14 November 2007, 02.52PM

  I've used the nematode control (nemslug etc available from many websites) for several years. It is never 100% effective but I've trialled it over the years by not applying on some parts of the garden, delaying, diluting the applications etc. and now I won't use anything else and in general don't find I need to!

  Downsides are:- a) the cost b) remembering to do the reapplication c) it appears less effective against snails, but in my case these are a lesser problem.

• Knotty

  14 November 2007, 02.52PM

  I've used the nematode control (nemslug etc available from many websites) for several years. It is never 100% effective but I've trialled it over the years by not applying on some parts of the garden, delaying, diluting the applications etc. and now I won't use anything else and in general don't find I need to!

  Downsides are:- a) the cost b) remembering to do the reapplication c) it appears less effective against snails, but in my case these are a lesser problem.

• Jean

  12 December 2007, 05.30PM

  I put my slugs and snails in water and jeys fluid, works a treat.

• Graham

  11 January 2008, 03.24PM

  Thinking about sprinkling salt on veggie patch. Has anyone tried this? if so, did the plants suffer?

• Deb

  10 February 2008, 10.05AM

  I understand that snails get an electric shock off copper and copper bands can be bought, at a price, to go round pots etc. The cost of running these bands round my raised beds would be prohibitive but I wondered whether copper wire might work. Has anyone tried this?