Vaseline and Slugs?

balloo_2

I think that slugs and snails once they get in to the pots bury themselves in the bottom of the pot and you will never find them only when you repot so whatever you put round the base will be no use to the ones that have already got in it may stop the next lot. some flowers if you plant them attract the slugs and snails is it Geraniums

I Think this is the best way
You can LURE them to bait and destroy them.

1: BEER. I think most of us have tried this one and it is the favorite with the men... ok, this could be an opening but I won't go there... The method works best if you place the beer in a container just deep enough for the snails and slugs to drown in. Empty the container of dispatched critters every few days and replace with fresh beer for another go around.

2: YEAST. What, no beer? No problem. Mix a packet of yeast in a cup of water and place this mixture in your bowl.

3: FRUIT. Cut citrus fruit such as lemons, oranges or grapefruit in half and place the halves cut side down on the ground. Leave your "offering" overnight where the critters can find them. In the morning, toss the fruit and the attracted snails you will find under the fruit into the garbage or put them where the birds can have breakfast.

4: POTATO. Some slugs like potato. Take a big potato, cut it into two halves and place the pieces in suitable places, with the freshly cut surface downwards. In the morning collect the potato and critters for disposal. This "half potato method" is also good to bait several unwanted insects tryit!

5: DOG FOOD. Do you nave a pet dog? If so, try dampened dry dog food. Place the food under a propped-up pie tin. Each morning, catch the snails hiding under the pie tin and destroy them or feed them to the birds.

Emuchops

I just lay the coins on the soil to form a circle around the plant base. They dont seem to burrow underneath them. Its the only thing that works on my delphiniums and lupins, which are otherwise eaten overnight. Worth a try as nothing lost if it doesnt work.

Welsh_Totster

I use nematodes which seem to do quite a good job in my last garden as I was over run with slugs and snails there. Watering can full of water and nematodes mixed in, water everywhere with the mix and the little nematodes attack the snails and slugs (even baby ones that are under the surface) and the problem became much more manageable. I was even able to plant out french marigolds (that snails love) without them getting eaten!

Theres nothing like a bit of Germ warfare!

SurferDan

You say:-

"It would cost a small fortune to get enough copper to surround the pots I have"

But you don't say how much you've seen the copper tape for.

I've just bought 6 x 4m x 30mm wide sticky backed copper tape for £9.99 on ebay with free postage which I think is a bargain compared garden centre prices.

lolly5648

Does copper tape actually work. Our neighbours put it round veggies and slugs still managed to get in.

lostinrates

We've ordered nematodes for the first time this year, but they have not yet arrived. The slugs are managing to do significant damage already.

Lotus-eater

lostinrates wrote: »

We've ordered nematodes for the first time this year, but they have not yet arrived. The slugs are managing to do significant damage already.

Stick some sort of trap in each area and empty them every morning and also go on night time slug hunts with a torch, on wet nights you need to go more than once.
With slug hunts you can literally stop the damage full stop, often it's just a few slugs that are doing all the eating.

Those Organic slug pellets are also V good.

lostinrates

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Stick some sort of trap in each area and empty them every morning and also go on night time slug hunts with a torch, on wet nights you need to go more than once.
With slug hunts you can literally stop the damage full stop, often it's just a few slugs that are doing all the eating.

Those Organic slug pellets are also V good.

N'uhuh, we're doing all that already....we are eating lots of grapefruit at the moent (garen is full of grapefruit and plastic bottles:o) and we've sunk a slug trap. we have so many we simply cannot kill them all. DH and I were out there for a couple of hours and still only got about 1/2 way round the garden. I was out there from 5-6 this morning, and only got the veg garen done. Ours are so plentiful the chickens are terrified of them....

we are a loane garden totally surrounded by organic fields, there is a garden about 200 yeards in two directions,but they too are surrounded by organic farm land....every slug in in the vicintiy heads to these gardens for sustenance I think. One of the neghburs is actually a market gardener and the whole family goes out in the evening to eep on top of theirs...

They should make a horror movie for gardeners............. ''the slugs''

Optimisticpair

gardenroute wrote: »

I bet deep heat would slow them down as well.
You can also try biological control as well. Packs of tiny worms can be put into a watering can and poured over susceptible plants where they will lie in wait for the slugs. Two applications a year should be enough.

I was shifting stones yesterday and put my hand on three of the blighters eeeeeuggggh! I like that picture of slug meets deep heat.

Keeping the garden tidy and removing hiding places has reduced breeding numbers greatly.

Lotus-eater

lostinrates wrote: »

N'uhuh, we're doing all that already....we are eating lots of grapefruit at the moent (garen is full of grapefruit and plastic bottles:o) and we've sunk a slug trap. we have so many we simply cannot kill them all. DH and I were out there for a couple of hours and still only got about 1/2 way round the garden. I was out there from 5-6 this morning, and only got the veg garen done. Ours are so plentiful the chickens are terrified of them....

we are a loane garden totally surrounded by organic fields, there is a garden about 200 yeards in two directions,but they too are surrounded by organic farm land....every slug in in the vicintiy heads to these gardens for sustenance I think. One of the neghburs is actually a market gardener and the whole family goes out in the evening to eep on top of theirs...

They should make a horror movie for gardeners............. ''the slugs''

Oh well, it works for me.

There was a program on tv recently, can't remember which one. It talked about a survey done in a half acre garden, two scientist type people went on slug hunts every night, they did this for three years. I can't remember the exact figures, but it went something like this.
1st year, 3700 slugs
2nd year, 3900 slugs
3rd year, 4500 slugs

So even though they removed every single slug they could find, the numbers still increased.

Interesting, if a little off putting.