where have all these slugs come from?

[ipiratethief]

last few nights they are evrywhere, when i put the back light on, it's disgusting. It's like something out of a horror movie!!

How do I get rid, do I have to kill them (feels guilty at thought)?

[bramblebooks]

I think one of them is a ninja hen actually. I have absolutely no idea how she is getting out of the chicken netted area under the trees. I think she's doing a platform 9 3/4 as in Harry Potter and just walking through the net. I keep finding her in the veggie garden - the lock is going so she just bashes the door open.

She may well jump jet it over to you, then all will be armageddon for the slugs (and your terrace).

Yes. You need beer with some Heft. Get some homebrew going in the garage - I'll get the cats to bag you some rats to put in the brew.

[Slubberdegullion]

at Uriel

Oh yes! yes! to jump jet ninja hen. She sounds marvellous. I'll hire her if you like.

yy to hefty beer. I'll look for some in sainsbo's with a hammer on, or a rocket, or just a groin on an anvil.

[bramblebooks]

Not too many slugs and snails left in my garden after the attentions of the frogs and the hens. Somewhat concerned about the hens spotting the frogs, however.

[midnightexpress]

My mum sent me a recipe last week for garlic spray to deter them - apparently she got it from an article about a woman with kerjillions of hostas, who swears by it:

Garlic Spray

Crush 2 large garlic bulbs, place in 2 pints of water.
Boil together for 3 mins until garlic blanches.
Cool, strain and add water to make up to 2 pints measure.
Store in screwtop jar.

To use:
Dilute 1 tablespoon of mix to 1 gallon water.
Use a watering can with rose to wash leaves in late afternoon.
Repeat every 14 days.
(You will have to use other methods until the leaves have unravelled).

I haven't tried it yet. I am the Slugfinder General, and I cut them in half with scissors. And leave them for the birds. Oh yes.

Also worth trying nematodes. I used them on my potatoes which do seem to be untroubled this year.

[bramblebooks]

Oh lordy, there is a terribly strong niff from down the road, and some sort of strange sulphorous cloud....

... although with my frogs and her garlic we might attract some sort of French Patisserie chef, so it's not all bad. ;)

[elsiepiddock]

I picked 35 of the massive feckers out of 5 pots yesterday. Normally I put them in a bucket and walk them to a nearby field but yesterday I was so cross with them I drowned them in the river.

I still feel guilty, much as I hate them.

[ipiratethief]

pmsl @ 'i was so cross with them I drowned them'

now, they'll never do that again!!

eww cutting them in half with scissors.

my mother said salt, put salt on them. Not sure if that's individual treatment, or gunpowder like rows of salt tho.

[gardeningmum05]

my neighbour, who is a very keen gardener has just told me he puts mothballs down and the slugs dont like the smell, worth a go

[Slubberdegullion]

I might just try the garlic spray. Can you even buy moth balls these days? Wouldn't they go all, um claggy and gopping when it rained?

lol at elsie's crossness and drowning guilt. I wouldn't worry. Do they feel any guilt for stripping my lovely new plants bare, and for being fugly? No. They care not. They are brazenly greedy and revolting.

[potplant]

Salt will stop them but washes away in the rain. If they are coming in the house then you can a line round the doors or wherever they are coming in from.

[potplant]

Just looked at the beer catcher on Lakeland. What do you do with them when you've caught them? Presumably they don't live to tell the tale of swimming in the beer?

[Slubberdegullion]

They do not potplant [evil ]

I am slinging them behind a hedge at the back of the garden and hoping like mad that some happy frog/hedgehog/neighbours ninja chicken will find the corpses.

[bramblebooks]

pmsl - if that neighbour (back hedge) spots it you'll end up with a slug asbo!

Acchewerly, I happen to know of other neighbours with a pond and frogs ...

Hiding defensive slug net.

[Slubberdegullion]

oh really? yikes. I'll have to dig a pit.

Neighbour's frogs are not crossing over afaik

[bramblebooks]

tempt them with some slug kebabs

[Slubberdegullion]

[bramblebooks]

lighting the barbie expectantly and passing slubber some lightly oiled skewers

[midnightexpress]

Perhaps I could Bokashi the remains and add them to my compost heap? Feeding my plants with slugs would give me a great sense of revenge.

[bramblebooks]

Good plan midnight - I arrived home from saino's to find this month's bokashi delivery on the doorstep. Perhaps Slubber could create a chunky marinade with it for us?

[midnightexpress]

Though I believe Hugh Fearnley-Wotsisname did cook and eat slugs on a recent programme, did he not?

Slug Pickle

[CrushWithEyeliner]

LOL

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

DH has been chucking beer and slugs on the compost heap, seems to work but I can't face looking as they are so revolting.

We had a major hail downpour yesterday afternoon so went out that evening. It was revolting, slugs and snails were everywhere and they make me feel quite sick to look at and had to force myself to pick them up on the end of a trowel held at arms length.

What exactly is the point of slugs apart from for good old Hugh to eat ? I still can't believe he kept going deciding it was the guts that made them bitter

[ipiratethief]

bar one or two, they seem to have moved on.

WHERE tho?

and WHY?

[Size6Feet]

I know this is an old thread but Cat64 you may read this.
Indoors slugs and snails can be stopped by running a line of ordinary salt around the edges of your skirting boards. They cant cross it. Its the way I remember people used to kill them outdoors too - a good sprinkle on the slugs.