slugs + snails

[cheeseplum]

ok so i planted out my leeks this weekend and i have noticed a few missing.... I even found a culprit in the bottom of one of the holes i had made for the leek seedling.

So, what is the best advice to combat slugs and snails?

[denise]

If you do type 'slug control' in the search thingy above and then scan down the results you will find a thread of that name and there are lots of ideas there. All the other results that came up will have ideas dotted through them too. Good Luck with what ever control method you choose - but nothing is 100% or even 50% slug / snail proof. Dont get depressed its great when you do win through so fight the good fight.

[pukka.tukka]

Hi

Mr PT and I use porridge and it works better than pellets or beer/lager.

[rustylady]

Pellets, or a torch after dark to catch the little b*****s and dispose of them as you wish

[multiveg]

Shall be going hunting tonight.

[Hans Mum]

Hi

Mr PT and I use porridge and it works better than pellets or beer/lager.

how do you use it PK? take it you dont dish it up as breakfast for them

[Flummery]

Lob it a tablespoon at a time?
Make it sloppy and drown them in it?
Use it to glue them to a stone so the birds can eat them?

[dexterdoglancashire]

I tried the beer in a jam jar trick last year, it seemed to work to a certain degree - and at least they died happy! Bernie aka Dexterdog

[TPeers]

Lob it a tablespoon at a time?
Make it sloppy and drown them in it?
Use it to glue them to a stone so the birds can eat them?

Oh! Please Can I Watch????

[Wendy]

copper tape is working really well at keeping them away!!! i tried Nemaslug but it didnt seem to have much effect on them, i like your method Fummery

[pigletwillie]

Have a small pond and breed your own slug eaters. Toads and frogs work brilliantly and a green option par excelence.

[TPeers]

Just remember that frogs and fish don't mix - at least, having had my neighbours fish wished onto me (he got rid of his pond and was going to kill them) I now get very few young frogs each year.

[Dutch]

Copper coated matting

Ive seen matting used for the weeds with copper on the top to deter slugs. They come for baskets and sheets (which worked out alot cheaper if you dont mind cutting the stuff)!

Saw it in Wilkinsons

Never tried it but wondered how good is it as a slug barrier?

Maybe if you attached a current to it then it would be 100%?

Any sparkies out there want to comment with your ideas?

[dexterdoglancashire]

Ive read somewhere that putting holly leaves around your seedlings will deter (birds I think) but perhaps if the leaves were close enough to your seedlings the slugs might not like the prickly bits? Going to give this a go - for a laugh if nothing else! You never know - it may even work! Bernie aka Dexterdog

[SueA]

The 'Garden Wisdom' book I got recently suggests putting aluminium foil collars around individual plants (like cabbage collars) to deter slugs.I haven't tried this yet but it's supposed to work in the same way as the copper tapes/mats & it would certainly be cheaper than buying copper.At the moment I just do the 'slug hunt by torchlight' method & sometimes the 'beer trap'-when I can get hold of out-of-date beer.