Efficient organic slug trap

[Peardrops]

I have discovered by accident that slugs will accumulate in huge numbers on a discarded rhubarb leaf and are easily picked up and disposed of. I have hens on my allotment, and when they see me coming with the rhubarb leaf they run to meet me, for their breakfast of slugs.
I have placed leaves around my lettuce seedlings and the seedlings have survived, but the slugs have fallen victim to the trap. Record so far 23 slugs on one leaf

[Lesley Jay]

Thanks for that tip Peardrops. It's a trip to the allotment tonight for some rhubarb leaves to put in the greenhouse. Do the slugs stay on the leaves all night until the following morning? Have you caught any snails aswell?

[Nicos]

Another great use for rhubarb! Will certainly try that one Peardrops - thanks for the tip!

[sewer rat]

I'm beginning to think that Rhubarb is the super-plant of the future - crumbles, pies, tarts, jams, slug traps, compost, alcohol - is there no end to the uses this much maligned plant has - full length feature in GYO ??

[Peardrops]

I forgot to mention that it has to be 'slug tasty' rhubarb, I have two varieties, and only one gets slugs on it (sadly I don't know the names of the varieties) so use the leaves that have holes in! I have re-used some for about a week, and they now resemble doilies, but the slugs are still munching, and the snails go for them too

[olde9856]

Got to be worth a try, the blighters are devastating my plot at the moment

[eskymo]

Excellent...my neighbour grows rhubarb, but just leaves it to grow and grow and it gets enourmous - you could use the leaves as fans. I can't eat it as it gives me a bad stomach, unless it's picked very young, so I'm more then happy to pick it and feed it to slugs - will definitely try this tonight.

I'm suprised that we've not had that many slugs yet this year. It's been very wet lately and all my salads are intact and my courgettes and brocolli are unaffected too...I think they must be planning a suprise attack!

[Simon Kendrick]

I went to the allotment lastnight and spread rhubarb leaves around my brocolli, salads, cauliflowers and sprouts......gonna go down later to see if it works. Hope it does as the blighters are were having a field day on these crops on Sunday night.

Any more ideas on keeping these pests away from crops?

[plot 11 pam]

someone mentioned a few weeks back comfrey leaves do the same thing as rhubarb leaves i'm going to have a go at both,but how to dispose of cuaght pests? i've been drowning them but would like to find a way of giving them to the birds any ideas?

[SueA]

Timperley Early rhubarb leaves should work, mine have a few large holes chewed in them from before I surrounded them with garlic granule barrier & went out every night picking the little blighters off by hand.

[Simon Kendrick]

Don't know what rhubarb I have but I went down lastnight to place the leaves around my crops but alas, to no avail, thanks for the idea though. Loathed to use pellets - is this my only option though?

[Jaxom]

I grow Timperley Early too. Nematodes didn't seem to work where the rhubarb plants are growing. The leaves are riddled with holes and when I put the leaves back under the stalks to compost down they collected heaps of slugs and snails. I noticed this, weeks ago but didn't make the connection that they could be used as slug traps round the garden.
Talk about being blind and not recognising what I was seeing.
Thanks for pointing this out.

[Peardrops]

The best way to get rid of the slimey critters is to get some hens! My girlies go mad for them, and I have no feelings of guilt when I feed them to the hens, but I could never quite bring myself to stamp on one (Only caught 18 on one leaf today, perhaps they prefer freshly picked)

[plot 11 pam]

I'd love to have hens but have an evil cat, and no grass. My friend has hens though , i could store them in a slug/snail container and give them to her.

[Peardrops]

Most large chickens would give a cat a sharp peck, and never be troubled by it again! I wouldn't risk banthams though if cat is a good hunter.