tiny black slugs on strawberries

blushingbride_3

hi everyone

i have tiny black slugs nibbling on my stawberries what is the best way of getting rid of them? i'd rather not use slug pellets.

MickMack

I've heard that ammonia diluted with water and sprayed on them will kill them but will not damage the plants, and is not harmful, considering they are intended for human consumption, but I haven't tried it personally.

Putting down salt will stop them but this is no use when its likely to rain.

You also get copper tape which is claimed to stop them, but it seems to be quite expensive and im not sure how well it actually works!


We resorted to going out at night just after dark and collecting them up (snails and slugs) and putting them in a bucket of water with has alot of salt in it to kill them!

blushingbride_3

Oh these are so tiny there are hard to see in my somewhat overgrown strawberry patch. can I remember something about beer traps?

Valli

paper cup/yoghurt pot/old can sunk into ground and half filled with beer
empty next morning

Farway

MickMack wrote: »

Putting down salt will stop them but this is no use when its likely to rain.

salt will also kill the plants

cootambear

why not slug pellets?

popularfurball

cootambear wrote: »

why not slug pellets?

Pellets kil slugs. Hedgehogs eat slugs. Poison kills hedgehogs also.

They suggest you have entry and exit holes for hedgehogs as they are th best slug control :rotfl:

cootambear

i though there were hedgehog friendly ones?

elisaves

they are a big problem this year, I would post a link to a good article but cannot Lots of hedgehog freindly methods. Garlic spray works well but have to reapply after rain... just soak a whole garlic in hot water overnight then dilute it a bit and ready to spray, repells all creatures, just wash well your strawberries after picking and all fine, never tried strawberry with garlic

Joyful

I have the same slugs on my strawberries- not helped by it raining every day sometimes all day. I am sure the slugs and snails are enjoying the weather this year. Every one of my peas has been eaten as well as my cucumbers. I have snails all over my outside walls and doors when I get up each day- they are everywhere.