Slugs

[mipmop]

I have recently moved, and all the lovely plants that toddler DS chose have been eaten by slugs. (Young bedding plants, sunflowers etc disappear overnight). I have clay soil, which is probably great for the disgusting, damp-loving slugs. They have climbed into small containers and feasted on all my cuttings and seedlings. I've seen tiny black slugs and quite a lot of snails in the garden.

I've no experience of slug products. Should I buy the blue pellets that are sold in local shops? Do the ferric sulphate ones actually work? I want something easy and effective. I hate the things and really don't want to see them or pick them up. I've looked online e.g.
www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=228
but would appreciate recommendations.

if you have a toddler, I personally would never put down poison.

Some other ideas here, here

I do find that the copper tape works well, and I'm going to try putting my pots on a stand of copper to deter them from coming up through the drainage holes.

Got home yesterday to find mine have been decimated too. I have dogs so I'm going to sprinkle salt around the edge of the pots and hope for the best. Obviously I'll have to keep doing it every time it rains (which is a lot where we live)!!

I use the organic pellets, they are safe for pets and children. I also have clay soil and you have to use everything, so pellets, copper tape, beer traps, salt, pointy-stick patrol. And even then you have to plant twice as many plants as you actually want.

Thanks everyone. I'll try the organic pellets and continue the pointy stick patrol!

If anyone else is interested, home bargains currently have the copper tape for £1.99.

Nematodes (eg nemaslug) are brilliant - we were quite consistent about applying it the first year, totally slack the second year and then stopped but haven't seen a slug since, 4 years down the track.