Slugs in compost bin

frugal6

Hi

My compost bin is over run with slugs, wide selection of colours and sizes. This compost bin is one of the black plastic ones with a lid, it was emptied in the spring so is fill with fresh stuff.

Can I throw in a hand full of slug pellets? Any suggestions?

Thanks

Sally_A

Leave be, at least they are munching up your compost not your crops, some slugs like to go walkies, as long as your compost bin is about 4 metres away they shouldn't venture that far.

elsien

I always get a few lurking in there, but not as many as you seem to have - is your compost a bit too wet?
Make sure you're aerating it regularly as well, help to break it down a bit quicker. I wouldn't chuck slug pellets in though, just make it a bit more uncomfortable for them if there's really that many. (Or leave the lid off to give the birds a tasty breakfast!)

Lotus-eater

Your compost bin is for breaking down plant matter, right? And slugs do what? Yes, break down plant matter.

Why on earth do you want to go throwing chemicals into your composter for? To kill off the wildlife which is doing what you want....

Come on, think about this for a minute, anything that moves into your bin, with the exception of rats and mice, is welcome.

frugal6

Thanks for your answers.

Yes I know beasties of all kinds are great in the compost bin, but I have never seen so many slugs in one place before. If they all migrate into my veggie beds I will have nothing left!

Lotus-eater

Some kinds of slugs eat decaying leaves and some prefer alive leaves, the ones in your compost bin probably won't attack any living stuff you have growing.

forgotmyname

I have bees and ants in mine a strange mix i thought.

The ants go crazy when i put rhubarb leaves in there.

Swarming everywhere, Do they like the sap from them?

myrnahaz

I don't think you should put rhubarb leaves in the compost - I'm sure it's poisonous or spoils the compost or something.

foxgloves

Please don't add chemicals to something taht's supposed to be so natural & good for the soil......if you get a lot of birds in your garden, particularly blackbirds & robins, you could try leaving the lid off for a while. Our robins hop in, eat anything they fancy from the top of the compost then we put the lid back on.

meg72

myrnahaz wrote: »

I don't think you should put rhubarb leaves in the compost - I'm sure it's poisonous or spoils the compost or something.

It is really OK to compost the rhubarb leaves they are only poisonous if you eat them.

I have done this for years and have good compost

funkymonkey849

We have loads of slugs in our plastic compost bin I'm worried they are laying their eggs and when I come to use the compost around my plants it'll be slugorama!