*WARNING*. Sluggo...

[Earthgirl Jen]

Sluggo is a certified organic slug repellant which I have witnessed being eaten with great relish by my blackbirds . I thought I had huge numbers of slugs and snails eating the stuff and disappearing into the soil never to be seen again.
However I have seen the blackbirds in my garden hoovering it up like sunflower hearts I regularly put out for them , do they not know the difference ?
Anyone else seen this ?

[Earthgirl Jen]

I should add that I have looked up the the problem with the blackbirds eating this and from what I can find it seems to disturb their appetite making them appear to be full when they aren't and as such they 'could' starve to death.... Anyone else findings appreciated x
As of now I have found NO dead blackbirds in my garden. And it does seem that every generation reared in my garden comes with a new 'quirk' x

[burnie]

I don't use any slug pellets, so not aware of this, it is the trouble with any chemicals that are distributed in the open, they are not selective.

[Thelma Sanders]

I use slug pellets under netting, for things like brassicas - although the slugs have been a problem this year and I did use some around my squash as well. Perhaps I need a rethink.

[Scarlet]

There's quite a few articles around that say sluggo isn't quite a wildlife friendly as it is advertised to be.
Maybe use very sparingly if you really need to and cover over so the birds can't eat it.
https://www.loghouseplants.com/blogs...er-slug-baits/

[Mitzi]

Allegedly we have hedgehogs although I've never seen once since moving here. I won't use any slug pellets because they must be harmful to the hedgehogs, frogs and toads, mustn't they?

[bikermike]

I work on the principal of lowest harm overall. I use them once per plant to get the things started.

If I didn't, I'd have no plants at all, at which point there would be no point having a plot.

Otherwise, I use nematodes, and am going to try to make some beer traps.

[Scarlet]

I know I have hedgehogs - I saved a little one a few years back I rarely see them so I don't ever put anything down.
But I put a live rat trap out the other week.....we caught a hedge hog! So they must come every night. I gave him some cat food, he scoffed that before leaving...but he was probably caged for a few hours.

So always worth considering alternative methods? Beer traps etc. I do the patrols at night my friends dog nearly died from eating a neighbours slug pellets. It really was touch and go.

[veggiechicken]

Hedgehogs, dogs and chooks here as well as lots of birds and other wildlife.

You can't poison one creature in isolation from everything else. Even a poisoned slug that supposedly buries itself underground to die, is going to leave poisoned remains that will affect whatever else is around, whether its a living being or the soil.
I'd rather lose my plants to slugs than have the death of a blackbird on my conscience.

[Florence Fennel]

I've stopped using slug pellets, not for any noble reason, but because I'm convinced they attract the snugs!

[Mitzi]

Snugs sound lovely, Florence.

[Dynamite]

Hi Florence, that’s absolutely right. Slug pellets are actually an attractant bait. Check these out.....

https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ell_93627.html

https://www.slugbell.com/what-is-a-s...works--6-c.asp

Kind Regards.............Rob

[Earthgirl Jen]

I would like to add, I'm still on the same box I started last year, I, like many, use them to give my small plants a chance. I DON'T throw them 'willy nilly' I have holes I poked into the top of a milk carton using a chopstick so that when I 'sprinkle' it is literally 4 or 5 pellets that come out around the plant.
I was MORTIFIED when I saw the blackbird pecking them up, next to me! Lesson learnt there.... I now use some cardboard with a stone on top or a piece of wood to which I now sprinkle underneath away from the birds. The box says not to sprinkle on the ground more than 4 times during a season, so I'm always conservative and aware of this... They are soil association approved as organic... Is there anyone else we can trust?
I am however intrigued by homemade garlic spray, has anyone used this?

[Penellype]

I would like to add, I'm still on the same box I started last year, I, like many, use them to give my small plants a chance. I DON'T throw them 'willy nilly' I have holes I poked into the top of a milk carton using a chopstick so that when I 'sprinkle' it is literally 4 or 5 pellets that come out around the plant.
I was MORTIFIED when I saw the blackbird pecking them up, next to me! Lesson learnt there.... I now use some cardboard with a stone on top or a piece of wood to which I now sprinkle underneath away from the birds. The box says not to sprinkle on the ground more than 4 times during a season, so I'm always conservative and aware of this... They are soil association approved as organic... Is there anyone else we can trust?
I am however intrigued by homemade garlic spray, has anyone used this?

Not used garlic spray, but I read somewhere that planting garlic next to other plants deterred slugs and snails. I don't much like garlic but I bought a bulb and planted the cloves around my plants in my friend's greenhouse, where there was a slug and snail problem. Result: the slugs and snails ate the garlic as well as everything else. Fail.

[Urban]

a nice ring of perlite around a young plant seems to deter the slugs, if you can keep it dry at least, ive heard coffee grounds also deter them

no chance ill use slug pellets, my garden is full of wildlife, because of the pond I have, and I wouldn't want to harm anything, to be fair I don't really get much slug problems, must be the birds, and frogs/toads sorting them out

I did use nematodes for the first couple of years when I started gardening though