Private renting, slugs help!

Lexxi

Point the brickwork around the outside too, once you have done the inside, will prevent the slugs from finding ways back in, do you have any air bricks, things can sometimes get in through those, you can get covers, DON'T fill them in!!!!
Also if you see any you could throw them out? We use a dustpan as they are pretty gross, that way at least they're not in the house.

Conrad

slow worms (legless lizards) and frogs like eating slugs. Get some in!

poppysarah

LOL a duck as a pet would be great but I know the mess that'd make - and the cats would love it. Frogs would also go down well with the cats.

neverdespairgirl

poppysarah wrote: »

Frogs would also go down well with the cats.

Would they? Our cats have always caught one or two, realised they taste nasty, and given it up as a bad job.

poppysarah

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

Would they? Our cats have always caught one or two, realised they taste nasty, and given it up as a bad job.

Hours of endless fun playing with them I suspect. One cat used to bring pond weed in as it was all she could reach trying to get the frog.

We've had mice bought in alive several times. I prefer finding them when they don't run about for ease of catching though.

SquatNow

poppysarah wrote: »

Hours of endless fun playing with them I suspect. One cat used to bring pond weed in as it was all she could reach trying to get the frog.

We've had mice bought in alive several times. I prefer finding them when they don't run about for ease of catching though.

Don't let the cat see you trow them out, they'll be offended. No seriously they will! If you discard it it's like saying "your worthless, it's not good enough". Queue no sign of cat for 4 days.

Mice, frogs etc are a gift from the cat. It's because your in charge they bring you gifts. Can you imagine how hard it is for a cat to catch a mouse and bring it in WITHOUT killing it? Cats only eat fresh meat, so a live gift is a great honour.

And the the live gift runs behind the fridge and you had to take the kitchen apart.

Bungarm2001

I would LOVE to hear more about this...we have one property where we and the tenants have tried and tried to get rid of these pests. NONE of us can work out where they are coming from..or where they go before it gets light!

It's a complete bluddy mystery..although when we emptied the hoover, we did find a couple in there (students, ay??!) 'cos the bag hadn't been changed for months, they found a safe place to hide (not suggesting that the OP is as bad as the students, but the slugs do seem to get into some strange places!)

Luckily, the tenants we have in there now are aware of the problem...(well, they could hardly miss the glittery trails everywhere every morning..) and have a fair sense of humour about them. I think they look upon them as weird pets. At least they're cheap to feed!

wymondham

Don't they leave a trail? - maybe follow this to where they get in?

Neillgb

Gotta get a hedgehog, mean mean slug eating machines. Snails too.

Not sure if you can house train hedgehogs though.....life is full of tough choices!!!

Greenstuff_2

http://www.greengardener.co.uk
Nematodes, they are parasites that just eat a specific pest.
You can get them on the above link for about a tenner, you can get them for slugs as well as ants and other pests, I have used them for ants and they are fantastic.
They come in a powder and you mix them in a watering can of water, you then simply water them around the outside of house or where you see a trail.
They live in water so you apply in the evening preferably when its been raining and they eat the slugs - a bit like a disease, they only eat slugs and are totally harmless, you can use them on vegtable patches and so on.
Please please dont use poison for slugs or ants, baby birds and animals eat the dead pests and it kills them I have also read that 6 children die each year from ant powder poisoning.
Nematodes are 100% natural and safe, you can take the dead slugs and feed them to the ducks if you like!