I have a problem in my garden, and not a very nice one at that – Slugs. It has taken me years to get them under some sort of control. The previous owners of our house were not gardeners at all and pests ran rife which left us quite a legacy of hard work to bring them under control. The worst of the pests without doubt were the slugs. Now I realise it is perfectly possible to grow slug resistant plants but I don’t like being dictated to – and my husband loves Hostas – the result of that combination was all out war on slugs.
Some people like to use chemicals in their garden, and that is their choice, but I don’t if it can be avoided so traditional slug pellets were not an option. They also wreak havoc with birds and hedgehogs so they were out. We did, and still do, occasionally use the organic, bird and hedgehog friendly slug pellets but they are not always easy to get hold of, so we had to use other methods. I have a friend who is even more paranoid about slugs than I am but I haven’t resorted to her method of control yet. At dead of night she dons a Miner’s helmet, puts on rubber gloves, grabs a bucket full of water and a large pair of tongs and sallies forth into the garden where unsuspecting slugs are grabbed by the tongs and dumped into the water to drown.
My favourite method of control does involve liquid and drowning but I go about it a slightly different way. I use ‘slug pubs’. A small amount of good beer is put into plastic containers which are spread around the garden especially near the vulnerable plants. Next morning they are generally full of dead drunk slugs. But my method doesn’t end there. The contents of the containers are emptied into a large drum which is kept topped up with water, creating a ‘slug soup’. I use the liquid from this drum to water the plants that slugs like to munch on most – and it seems to work! It’s almost as if the slugs smell or sense what is there and keep away. It even helps with the little blighters that hide in the soil and munch on the plants before they make it to the surface.
For the Hostas I also save all the pistachio nut shells we can get our hands on and put those as a mulch around the base of the plants. The sharp, salty shells keep all but the most determined of the slugs away and we have had a lovely display of Hostas for a few years now using this method.
There is a part of me that feels very mean drowning the slugs this way as I don’t like to kill any creature unnecessarily but when you see all your precious vegetables disappear overnight…. at least they die happy!
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Hello Lizzie,
Given your topic today, you may find the following press release interesting…
Slug Fence Protects Garden and Environment
Victoria, B.C….March 10, 2008…If the best offence really is a good defence, then the battle against destructive garden slugs is best waged early in the season–well before they start to devour valued plants and flowers. The SlugsAway™ electronic slug and snail fence from Contech Electronics is a unique, chemical-free way to protect your garden and the environment around it.
SlugsAway–a safe and effective alternative to slug and snail baits–surrounds a flower bed, raised vegetable garden, or favorite planting of new seedlings with a low, compact fence that forms a harmless, yet effective, electronic barrier. When a slug or snail attempts to climb the fence, it receives a mild static sensation (undetectable to pets and humans), causing it to change its path away from the protected area.
Left unchecked, slugs and snails can cause significant damage in little time. While feasting on seedlings, strawberries, dahlias, hostas and more, slugs can consume several times their own body weight in a single night. Eradication or control of slugs and snails can be difficult and costly, and traditional options — like pesticides containing metaldehyde — can be toxic to pets and wildlife. Also, some slug baits can prove less effective in rainy weather, and need to be reapplied throughout the season. SlugsAway is easy to set up, and can harmlessly protect your garden all season long on a single nine-volt battery.
SlugsAway’s low, attractive 24-foot long mesh fence protects up to 32 square feet (a 4 x 8 foot vegetable garden). For larger areas, an optional extension doubles the protected area. Completely harmless to pets, children, wildlife–and even slugs and snails–SlugsAway is ideal for organic gardeners who choose to keep their gardens chemical-free.
SlugsAway is available from Contech Electronics or at various retailers throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, or to find a retailer near you, visit http://www.contech-inc.com/products/slugsaway/.
Established in 1987, Contech Electronics is a designer and provider of advanced animal training, control and wellness products for pet owners and gardeners around the world. Safe and effective solutions such as the ScareCrow® motion-activated sprinkler continue to reinforce the company’s reputation as a leading innovator in the pet and garden industries. For more information, visit http://www.contech-inc.com
Contact:
Tracey Robertson
Media Relations
Contech Electronics
Tel: 1.250.652.0755, ext. 113
Tracey.Robertson@contech-inc.com