Boris - friend of the slug

A._Badger

Clearly short of more urgent things to worry about, the government has announced the banning of metaldehyde slug pellets. Sales will be prohibited after March 2021 and existing stocks will have to be used within one year.
The full story is in Farner's Weekly: https://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/crop-management/pests/metaldehyde-slug-pellets-to-be-banned-from-spring-2022
 Some years ago a garden centre manager woefully promised me that we will all be forced to garden 'organically' in a few years time. It looks like she was right.

 

Davesnave

Don't worry, at the rate Boris is going, we'll be a third world country by 2022 with no viable enforcement of anything and a thriving black market in whatever you fancy, be it slug pellets or ....well, use your imagination! 

I only use metaldehyde pellets on one side of my polytunnel where our sluggish residents take advantage of the wildlife border on the other side and sneak under the frame during the hours of darkness. Last time a ban was mooted, I stashed enough away to keep doing that till about 2045, when I shall no longer care about slugs, or what Boris's latest change of tack might be!

Farway

Davesnave said:

Don't worry, at the rate Boris is going, we'll be a third world country by 2022 with no viable enforcement of anything and a thriving black market in whatever you fancy, be it slug pellets or ....well, use your imagination! 

I only use metaldehyde pellets on one side of my polytunnel where our sluggish residents take advantage of the wildlife border on the other side and sneak under the frame during the hours of darkness. Last time a ban was mooted, I stashed enough away to keep doing that till about 2045, when I shall no longer care about slugs, or what Boris's latest change of tack might be!

Forward planning is the obvious answer. Most I've seen are sold in plastic tubs and should store [illegally ?]  for ages I would have thought

I hope mine do, but I may have to name in my will who gets them on my demise

A._Badger

Yes, likewise, I will just have to shuffle my store of incandescent light bulbs around a little to make room.

twopenny

Get a hedgehog.

I have at least one visiting and it's done a great job. Unfortunately they don't like the big tough ones but they're easy to see and pick up on a spoon and send on a trip over the fence.

I like to think I'm giving them the away holidays that us humans aren't getting now.

theoretica

twopenny said:

Get a hedgehog.

I have at least one visiting and it's done a great job. Unfortunately they don't like the big tough ones but they're easy to see and pick up on a spoon and send on a trip over the fence.

I like to think I'm giving them the away holidays that us humans aren't getting now.

My mum did that with snails.  Then she painted dots on the snails and confirmed they were coming back in a day or two.

Davesnave

Proper scientific research has shown that snails can make their way back reliably to the place they were relocated from until they are taken more than 20m.

twopenny

Not if the hedgehog eats them they don't come back!

silverwhistle

That's what my outside toilet is for, disposing of slugs and snails..

Next door's cats predate everything, except snails. It's a great shame.

bouicca21

I thought snails were good for the garden?  It’s been a bumper year for them And I’ve left them in peace ...

elsien

Davesnave said:

Proper scientific research has shown that snails can make their way back reliably to the place they were relocated from until they are taken more than 20m.

Better get my catapult sorted then.