Minnie&Moose Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Yesterday, even though it was dry all day here, I counted 17 large brown slugs in one grub and the local slug synchronised swimming team were warming up in the glug! This morning when I opened the eglu there were slugs everywhere - stuck to the door, waving at me from the nest box, and even a few doing a very slow 'wall of death' around the inside. Not sure how much more of this I can take Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I know we have a real problem here also - the girls have done their best to eat as many as they can but they wont eat the giant ones They are eating all of my nice plants and leaving trails around by grub! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 the local slug synchronised swimming team were warming up in the glug! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_B Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 (edited) They are driving me crazy too - so I can sympathise! Last night I found a giant slug stretched out on one of the girl's wing when I checked the girls after they'd taken themselves to bed I was furious with the slug in question! The only way I can 'control' the situation is by slug hunting at night and removing the slugs into a bucket. Otherwise other traditional methods (sharp stones, pellets etc) just haven't worked this year due to the crazy amount around at the moment! x Edited August 29, 2012 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenthelibrarian Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 They are disgusting, aren't they? And I do object to the way my chooks will eat them, and then wipe the slime off their beaks down my jeans... I did used to keep a racing snail, I tried removing his shell to make him go faster. It just made him sluggish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I've started putting the grub containers on top of my cube (inside a WIR) - the slugs don't seem to want to go that far upwards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zakjon-98 Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 They are disgusting, aren't they? And I do object to the way my chooks will eat them, and then wipe the slime off their beaks down my jeans... I did used to keep a racing snail, I tried removing his shell to make him go faster. It just made him sluggish One of mine does the same Loved the joke about the racing snail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayleybug Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 theres nothing worse though than when youre strimming the edge of the lawn as i was yesterday and you strim a slug right across the back what is the point of slugs anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Oh I'm totally fed up with them too!!! I take in the grub from the eglu and the babies wooden coop every night and yes there's slugs in them..... arghh I even find one eating out of the grub which I keep in the food bin over night......how do they get every where??????? My little bantams don't even try and eat them, they are a monsterous size this year!!!! Please if anyone has a secret way of keeping them away...share!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Ugh they're bad this year. Horrible big things with that orange rim round them yuk, leaving food containers and water all slimey. I chuck them over the neighbours fence but think they just keep coming back for more Save me from the slugs my girls won't eat them . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayleybug Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 doesnt the instruction info with diatom say that it works as a slug repellent? im sure it said something like it works til it gets wet, but then it actually dries out again and starts working again. not sure whether that will solve the whole problem since they tend to come out in the rain!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pearls007 Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I cut them in half with a pair of secateurs. It stops them in their tracks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted August 29, 2012 Author Share Posted August 29, 2012 I chuck them over the neighbours fence . Glad I'm not your neighbour Plum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I chuck them over the neighbours fence . Glad I'm not your neighbour Plum My neighbours probably chucking them back I cut them in half with a pair of secateurs. It stops them in their tracks! nooooooo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted August 29, 2012 Author Share Posted August 29, 2012 I chuck them over the neighbours fence . Glad I'm not your neighbour Plum My neighbours probably chucking them back Aaaahhhh! I've got this horrible image in my head now - a barrage of slugs flying over your fence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 You have to get them on there backs to get a good toss or they adhere to the trowel and let go at the last minute and land on top of the WIR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forestchook Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I was amazed by the size of one happily munching chicken food yesterday morning. It was huge. Unfortunately my chooks aren't even interested in the small ones, so they are no help! Personally I “slug-put” them over the wall into the field next door. Sadly I suspect they make their way back again. There is one solution that is more permanent but I’m afraid I cannot bring myself to do it. A nice old lady (in her eighties) I used to work with in a charity shop said she went out in the evening and .... (apologies to those with weak stomachs) .... cut any she found in half with a pair of scissors. She claimed to have no qualms about this because when she went out half an hour later lots more would be there eating their dead buddies. So she cut them in half as-well. Ah, cross posted. Never mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amys garden Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 The slug and snails are repellant this year! Apparently there's been a TENfold population explosion.... And the new/unusual ones are an alien species from Spain For real I saw it on the Beeb The Darn things have eaten every single thing I've planted Plumb you must be chucking them over my fence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Slugs have slowed down to one or two in the morning with nice orange flange round them. What breed are they amys garden? Now I have worms going into the food . Those thin red ones you find in the compost heap and they haven't eaten them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gem_xxx Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 A neighbour of mine has great success with burying jars or larger containers in the soil and putting beer at the bottom. Gets rid of hundreds of them each night and it works with some other liquids too but can't recall which.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 A neighbour of mine has great success with burying jars or larger containers in the soil and putting beer at the bottom. Gets rid of hundreds of them each night Ohh yes I have heard that too - I will give it a go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 Not content with taking over the chickens' space the slugs are now moving in on the bunny! I went to feed her this morning and there were 3 disgusting slimy monsters cavorting in her hutch, and her grass run was covered in them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsatroy Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Since we got the girls on Saturday my son and daughter have trawled the garden every evening gathering up slugs and then dropping them into the cube run. The girls go absolutely nuts for them even the huge ones There have been some extremely comical chases around the run as one attempts to prevent her tasty treat from being stolen. Poor Henny Penny got quite a telling off from Hannah yesterday for attempting to steal her slug! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenthelibrarian Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I have been doing some reading about slugs and compost heaps, since I had been chucking any slugs and snails into my 'dalek' black plastic compost bins, assuming they'd be trapped and help with the breaking down of the garden waste. One of my bins is home to slow worms, who are often basking on the top as you lift the lid and I think they eat slugs, so that's all good. Opinions seem very divided on this. If your heaps get very hot as they rot it should kill any eggs laid by slugs and snails and the live ones may well help to break down any cardboard and green stuff. We have a council 'green waste' collection and I generously add the really huge, horrible stripey slugs to this, on collection day I poke the ones clinging under the lid back down into the bin My dear departed mother used to go round the garden with an inch of strongly salty water in a bucket and collect up slugs and snails which then came to a disgusting green frothy end and were binned. Grim, but maybe not quite as grim as the scissors/secateurs treatment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uma Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 What you all need are some ducks. No, really! They are the best de-sluggers ever and amazing too. Best decision I ever made was getting some ducks as well as the hens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
