Smart Door Power Options

[umbrella thursday]

I've not posted on here for a long time but am hoping you will be able to help me. I have four banties, pekins and wyandottes, who are very much loved. However, they don't seem to like eating slugs and our area is full of them, great big orange frilled ones who have decimated all our seedlings yet again. I've tried everything bar pellets, there are so many of them that nothing seems to work. Can I put down a few of the organic ones or is it a real no no? I'm loathe to not have any veg again this year but unless I do something drastic, that's what it's going to be. My girls have free range of the garden by the way and I wouldn't want them not to, in fact I'm thinking of getting a few more banties as we adore them so much, so want them to be out as much as possible.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice - we're at our wits' end.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that you can sink pots/tins/containers of some sort with beer in them into the soil and the slugs will go in and drown (but go happy!) That should be safe for your girls (unless they like beer ).

[umbrella thursday]

thanks for the advice - I used beer last year, the problem is we have so many of the vile, slimy things here and I'm tipping out foul stinky pots full of bloated slugs constantly. I've read so much conflicting information about organic slug pellets and safety, I just really don't want to harm my girls. I was promised they'd keep the garden clear of slugs but they turn their noses up at them.

[Squawk]

beer/lager in a pot of some description worked really for me in the past.

 

Personally I would avoid using the slug pellets even if they claim to be natural/organic. If they kill slugs then I suspect they arent good for chickens either.

 

I think you can buy a biological control for slugs - nematodes??? Hopefully someone else will know if this is safe for use where chickens free range.

 

If all else fails you can borrow my girls for a week - they go crazy for slugs!

[docsquid]

We tried the nematodes and it didn't really make any difference. We also tried copper rings, ground up chalky stuff that was supposed organic slug control etc etc. Nothing made any difference.

 

However now we've got chickens, even though they aren't allowed on the veg patch, they have made a huge difference and I now have non-frilly hostas for the first time in years! What a shame yours don't go for slugs.

[sewitall]

Nematodes are safe to use with chickens. However, like Docsquid, I'm not sure they are as fantastic as they are made out to be. I used them last year, following all the instructions (the conditions have to be just right), but I didn't notice any considerable depreciation in numbers and the nematodes only live for 6 weeks before you need to order and apply the next batch. The best way of getting rid of them is arming yourself with a torch late at night, an old spoon as a capturing device, and a container of salt water to put them in (otherwise they crawl straight back out again). You won't however get at the slugs that live underground and eat your roots and make holes in your root vegetables.

[umbrella thursday]

so it's a no to organic pellets then?

I'm just going to have to get some new girls then and hope they have more of a penchant for frilly slugs.

[Luvachicken]

This is related - honest

I had a surprise visit from a relative who smokes (no offence to anyone who smokes) and I didn't have an ash tray so she used a little dish that was lying around the garden. She smoked 4 cigarettes and put them in the dish - then it rained and they got damp - and a snail climbed in - it died

I don't know if it was related to the ciggies or not but maybe it might work on slugs and there wasn't any gooey mess to clear up either.

[stoice]

Would diatom or wood ash around your plants work? I've not tried it myself but it works on mites and lice for the chooks, maybe it'll work on slugs. Couldn't be more safe either. Anyone tried it?

[stehaggan]

If anyone lives near pound world they sell 2 plastic slug traps for £1 just put some smart price lager in and bobs your uncle. I've got them on my allotment now aNd I haven't seen many around since( other than swimming in the lager anyway) lol

[Snowy]

You could use pellets, but put them in a container. Use those square sided cordial bottles, cut it so that you have two flaps that you can push inwards to create a gap in the side of the bottle - so slugs can squeeze in, but not out again (in theory). Put slug pellets in bottle and put top on. Lie bottle on it's side on soil, preferably use a few scattered around. The pellets are supposed to attract the slugs into the bottle, where they die, and other animals can't get at the corpses.

Have to say I haven't tried it myself yet as mine are quite efficient sluggers, but it is my standby in case I get a slug problem on the allotment (which is supposed to be organic). Hope it works!

[jennybrom]

I think you can get some pellets that kill slugs because they have a trace amount of copper or something similar in them - harmless to other animals etc but not to slugs, can't remember the brand though so might be worth shopping around - it's definitely different to the old fashioned chemical type so you don't need to exclude children/pets.

[umbrella thursday]

thank you all so much for your help. that pellets in bottle is a genius idea. I've got some with iron phosphate in it and will give that a go. Put lots of smart price beer everywhere too. Thanks omleteers.

think I'll use it as an excuse to get some more girls too. Loving having these friendly little chickens hopping about the garden.

[sewitall]

Thought I'd mention that nicotine is poisonous to potatoes, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes and should not be used near foods that are to be consumed as it is toxic to humans and probably wouldn't do your chooks much good either. Unfortunately Diatom is only effective when dry and it will take a few days before the damage (via cuts) to the slug has killed it, by which time it has already eaten your veg. It will also cause the same damage to any beneficial insects which crawl over it.

[Debby Tutton]

Our chooks wouldn't touch them either. I know just the ones you mean, nasty expressions, orange frills and they carry thomson sub machine guns for those who argue.

 

My chooks took one look and ran the other way. I could hear them saying "you gotta be 'aving a laugh, they're huge !"

 

Try Slug-Pubs from Lakeland they are great. You fill them with beer and voila within a couple of days its filled with dead slugs. I believe they are attracted to the fumes then get intoxicated and loose their way out. They are so good I have 4 around the house. (Not nice to empty though !)