Does anyone have any ideas how to get rid of slugs? Preferably a way that is vaguely humane and doesn't harm other wildlife eg the birds that might eat the slugs' dead bodies. Thanks!
Have you tried beer traps yet? Burry an old jam jar to ground level with beer and wait for them to fall in and drown. No birds, cats, hedgehogs or humans are harmed...
I have to admit I dispatch with scissors - horrible but quick. I also use pellets (from large garden centres) that act as a barrier because slugs do not like walking across them as they dry them out. Where I grow strawberries that I cover with netting, I do use ordinary pellets, as wildlife can't get to them. Also eggshells around new little plants to keep them off. Also if you create a habitat for them, such as even a piece of old wood or a tile on a patch of soil, and keep the area damp, the slugs will accumulate under it. So then I do my horrible scissor attack. Good luck.
I went to Hampton Court Flower show yesterday and they were selling these 'slug bells' which apparently work and also look quite pretty. www.slugbell.com. Currently used at Highgrove!
I agree with Margarete. Beer! We put ours in shallow saucers and the slugs love them. Doesn't harm any other animals except husband who has to donate small amount of beer!
Thanks for the beer trap idea. I've drowned loads already and I only started putting out the traps a few hours ago! Will definitely save up jam jars and refill with beer regularly. Too late to save the marigolds but hopefully will save the petunias. Thanks!!!
By the way I didn't bother burying the jamjars - just put them out. The slugs crawl up them and in of their own accord - they seem to love the smell of the beer. At least they die happy!
Have a look at Harrod horticultural website - they have an organic product that you water into the soil and it kiils them underground; one appllication lasts ~6 weeks.. Harmless to other wildlife. I've been using it for the past couple of months and they do seem to have been reduced substantially - sitll getteing snails though. http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/pest-control-by-product-tcid43.html
I used to have
several hedgehogs which did a magnificent job on the slugs.. Then my neighbour
decided to sprinkle slug pellets all over her back garden. The hedgehogs ate
the dead slugs and now they are all long gone. But there are plenty of healthy
slugs everywhere.
Michael, that's really sad. I'm convinced the current explosion in the slug population is at least partly due to the decline in the numbers of hedgehogs. A real shame.
Coffee grounds is the new discovery for me. Nitrogen rich so good for the soil. Slugs and snails don't like them as they are acidic and abrasive when used as a barrier around plants. And there should be a plentiful supply for all with the abundance of coffee houses, who presumably would be only to pleased to oblige with requests?
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