Slug pellets and strawberries

doctor greenthumb · Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 8:57 pm Post subject: Slug pellets and strawberries

Hi all,
I have a few strawberry plants maybe ten altogether they have started running and a couple are beginning to bear fruit i also have alot of slugs more than 10 Confused

i have spread pellets a couple of weeks ago i was thinking of putting more out because the slugs have made a come back it is wet and i understand they are on the move but what i want to know is it safe to eat the berries if the rain has washed the pellets into the soil around them or should i just discard them?

mariafp · Guest

I don´t really know because I am using the wee rings and the small stones to keep them away, and these methods are safe for humans and animals. Anyway, I found this on the internet:

http://www.slugawareness.co.uk/faqs.html#one
7. How soon can I eat fruit, vegetables or herbs after I have used slug pellets?
Edibles protected with Bio Slug & Snail Killer can be picked and eaten on the same day.

However, could you contact the manufacture help line? Better safe than sorry!

michael brenock · Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 10:58 am Post subject:

Pick the strawberries, rinse in clean water and they will be ok. As long as the pellets were not in direct contact with the fruit it should be alright.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

AJ · Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 9:08 pm Post subject:

Did a little experiment this year.
1. Gathered pine needles from a forest close to me and spread them as a mulch.
2. Used some jam jars as a home for slug pellets and laid them on their side close to the plants and on top of the pine needles, I did this to keep the pellets dry when watering the plants to stop them being washed away.
Worked very well with a huge decrease in slug damage.
What I also noticed was that no big slugs were around< they were all little guy's