Best solution for slugs?
Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3
|
Author |
Message |
Blowin Rank attained: Vegetable garden tender
Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 930 Location: Drimoleague, Co Cork
|
Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 5:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Sue, buy him the Bob Newhart CD containing the skit about Walter Raleigh phoning back to the UK to tell them about his discovery of tobacco. Puts smoking into its proper context. (That's from someone who once earned his living as a sales rep for a tobacco company!). _________________ A novice gardener on newly cultivated, stoney ground. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Sue Deacon Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood

Joined: 31 Dec 2014 Posts: 2029 Location: West Fermanagh
|
Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 6:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
We've got that, it's brilliant! Doesn't make any difference, he studied polymer chemistry, he knows better than most of the poisons in cigarettes! Still doesn't stop him.  _________________ Be humble, for you are made of earth
Be noble, for you are made of stars |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Blowin Rank attained: Vegetable garden tender
Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 930 Location: Drimoleague, Co Cork
|
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 10:04 am Post subject: |
|
|
From an old book of my Mum's - Metaldehyde. Nowadays (1949) this is considered the ideal slug killer. One ounce of finely crushed M. mixed with 2lb of bran and placed in small heaps near the slugs' haunts will be responsible for the deaths of thousands each day!!! So, I looked up Metaldehyde on the web, expecting it to be an Oh-nasty, but found it labelled as an 'organic compound'. There you go? _________________ A novice gardener on newly cultivated, stoney ground. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Sue Deacon Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood

Joined: 31 Dec 2014 Posts: 2029 Location: West Fermanagh
|
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 11:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
It's still toxic and can cause poisoning of pets and wildlife. Something ELSE I've used in the past, but don't now.
I was reading recently that someone suggested just the bran can be used. They said slugs are attracted to it and stuff themselves. It then expands, bulks out the slug, slowing it down then it is more easily picked off by predators. Well that's the theory. I can see a number of flaws in the plan, but I suppose it's worth a shot? _________________ Be humble, for you are made of earth
Be noble, for you are made of stars |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Gautama Rank attained: Silver Birch Tree

Joined: 29 Aug 2008 Posts: 172 Location: Cork
|
Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 5:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Blowin wrote: | So, I looked up Metaldehyde on the web, expecting it to be an Oh-nasty, but found it labelled as an 'organic compound'. There you go? |
"Organic" in chemistry and "organic" in gardening are two entirely different things.
When I did my leaving cert an organic compound was any chemical compound that contained CHO, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
Exactly what organic gardening is, is vague, but I've never heard anyone describe their allotment gardening in such terms.
Alcohol is probably the most widely consumed organic compound. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Blowin Rank attained: Vegetable garden tender
Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 930 Location: Drimoleague, Co Cork
|
Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2017 8:18 am Post subject: |
|
|
Interesting! By 'leaving cert' you suggest an Irish education and, from the SE of England, I doubt my Mum's book had much to do with this country so I'm wondering if there's a difference between what's taught on our respective sides of the Irish Sea. It would be interesting to know. _________________ A novice gardener on newly cultivated, stoney ground. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Sue Deacon Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood

Joined: 31 Dec 2014 Posts: 2029 Location: West Fermanagh
|
Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2017 9:32 am Post subject: |
|
|
I have a book 'The Fruit Garden Displayed'. My copy is dated 1974 but it was first published in 1951. It has some good old fashioned advice but much of it is mind-boggling out dated. The illustrations are funny enough - man in flat 'at and suit, looking very awkward. The arsenal of chemicals used includes Paraquat and Dichlobenil (which carries a warning not to use too much as it 'can lead to serious damage' (to the plant!) with no mention of rashes and breathing difficulties in humans. _________________ Be humble, for you are made of earth
Be noble, for you are made of stars |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Good guy Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 11 Feb 2013 Posts: 2593 Location: Donegal
|
Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 2:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I've use the slug pellets sold by the Organic Centre and they seem to work quite well but I don't bother, once the plants are growing well. Some of my hostas are getting a bit lacey at this stage, though. I have a very healthy population of frogs and birds - I assume they eat plenty of slugs and I have seen a hedgehog in the garden. I did use Nemaslug at one stage, on a newly cultivated area that was beset by slugs. It worked well, but then the snails took up the available space! |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Sue Deacon Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood

Joined: 31 Dec 2014 Posts: 2029 Location: West Fermanagh
|
Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Same here as far as the slugs are concerned. Two doses of nemaslug put paid to most of them. But the snails .....  _________________ Be humble, for you are made of earth
Be noble, for you are made of stars |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Good guy Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 11 Feb 2013 Posts: 2593 Location: Donegal
|
Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 8:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Bring on the blackbirds, thrushes etc! Its so satisfying finding the broken snail shells 👹- makes all
those winter trips to the bird table worth while. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Sue Deacon Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood

Joined: 31 Dec 2014 Posts: 2029 Location: West Fermanagh
|
Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 10:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
On a quiet day I often hear our thrush, in the wood, bashing the living daylights out of a snail - does the heart good to hear it!
Can't agree about the bird table though. I feed our birds all Winter (and in the Summer to fatten up the young ones) They get all the peanuts, meal worms, fat balls and 'museli' mix they can stuff in their tiny beaks - and how do they repay me? By scoffing all my raspberries! Ha! Not any more - I have a fruit cage, He, he! _________________ Be humble, for you are made of earth
Be noble, for you are made of stars |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Good guy Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 11 Feb 2013 Posts: 2593 Location: Donegal
|
Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 8:26 am Post subject: |
|
|
Ahhhh. Poor dickie birds! Not😁 |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You can attach files in this forum You can download files in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2006 - present IrishGardeners.com (part of GardenPlansIreland.com)
|