Cheap source of copper for keeping slugs out of our raised veggie bed

TorThe

Having seen it on telly I think it would be a good idea to hammer copper pipe onto the edges of my raised beds to keep out the slugs and so we don't have to use slug pellets.
However it seems wasteful and expensive to buy new. Can anyone think of any way of getting this cheap. Or recommend a seller. Also is it possible to chop the pipe in half lengthways so it goes twice as far?

Cheers
Owen

Sharifa_2

I've never found that copper works for slugs; I bought some copper tape from Ebay once and they zoomed all over it. Sharp grit seems to work better.

ChasingButterflies

Hi there,

If you have a smallish scrap yard (one that deals with ferrous/non ferrous metals not a car breakers) close by - you should be able to pick some up there. Not sure about cutting lengthways though - think it would be very time conusuming...

I have no idea if it keeps them away - but hope this helps!

Mrs_Wossinge

I tried the copper tape with very limited success, and think the idea of copper pipe might work better. This year I'm using a combination of crushed eggshells, hair clippings and the dreaded pellets in a trial to see what works best. No conclusive proof either way yet...

Edited to add that slugs often come up through the soil rather than up and over the edges of raised beds. They are devious.

DKLS

Nermatodes have worked the best for me, your local garden centre should sell them, sprinkle a packet in a watering cans worth of water and lightly sprinkle over the garden, then the nematodes set about using the slug as a host for its own young, a nursury with in built food source :eek:

Solomon_Broad

Copper is very expensive right now. Lots of the supply is being bought up by places like China (apparently).

It's easy to cut. Try using a jigsaw with a metal cutting blade in it, if you want to cut it lengthways.

Big_Bird_4

Save yourself the effort. It really doesn't work.

Biggles

DKLS wrote: »

Nermatodes have worked the best for me, your local garden centre should sell them, sprinkle a packet in a watering cans worth of water and lightly sprinkle over the garden, then the nematodes set about using the slug as a host for its own young, a nursury with in built food source :eek:

I can confirm the effectiveness of nematodes. But they're hellishly expensive and you have to renew every six weeks to keep them effective.

mark3528

i use salt, jeyes fluid type cheapo stuff and a bag of pellets i blagged from a golf course while trapping moles,
salt and jeyes is the best, jeyes also deters carrot and cabbage root fly when you use it to water plants

deters cats as well they hate the taste of disinfectant on thier fur

olly300

mark3528 wrote: »

i use salt, jeyes fluid type cheapo stuff and a bag of pellets i blagged from a golf course while trapping moles,
salt and jeyes is the best, jeyes also deters carrot and cabbage root fly when you use it to water plants

deters cats as well they hate the taste of disinfectant on thier fur

Be careful - Jeyes fluid contains tar acids and the EU legislation introduced a couple of years ago prevents it from being used by amateur growers for 'plant protection'

See here:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/learning/publications/pubs/garden0503/pesticides2.asp

alanobrien

Copper certainly works - its the electrical differential that they dislike......BUT.....it has to be kept shiny to work effectively and thats the problem. It oxidises very quickkly so you are forever having to clean it up with wirewool to keep it effective.

You can get rolls of small bore copper pipe from plumbers merchants quite cheaply and a lot cheaper than the rolls of tape from ebay.