Slug problems... anyone?

[phildo79]

Which kind of snakes are these?

Big mother-f*cker ones.

 

[foxy]

Which kind of snakes are these?

That is a Black snake.

 

[phildo79]

Rounded up another 25 to 30 last night and relocated them. I do wonder if I am just wasting my time. There's probably thousands of them, on and around my property. Think I got more last night then the one before ffs.

 

[robster62]

Only if you live in the pacific basin

I live in a house so I'm safe

 

[Empty bottle]

Which kind of snakes are these?

That's not a snake its just a big tall lanky slug

 

[phildo79]

Another 20 captured last night. That's about 75 or 80 over 3 nights. Is that normal? Would y'all find that many if you went looking in your garden?

 

[jayk34]

Another 20 captured last night. That's about 75 or 80 over 3 nights. Is that normal? Would y'all find that many if you went looking in your garden?

Yes. That is a modest number. Slugs lay between 20-100 eggs several times a year, so 20 is on the low side. They tend to come out in colder, wetter weather but do hibernate below temperatures of 5°C.

I work in a large garden open to the public and we would treat the soil with nematodes early in the year when the soil warms up and then at regular intervals of 6 weeks. It does reduce the amount of damage but still get the of bit of damage here and there.

 

[user 44889]

Reckon i could go out to my veggie patch and gardens every night and get at least 20 to 30 plus a night. That's why i kill them. Found a cluster of slug eggs the other day, destroyed them as well. You will never get rid of them ( unless you cover your garden in slug pellets, which can be deadly to birds ) so all you can do is reduce the population. It's an ongoing battle.

 

[phildo79]

I have artificial grass down. I've a feeling I have just given them a massive duvet to lie under during the day. On the plus side, they are easier to spot because they mostly lie on top of the bristles. But still, I wonder if getting that laid 12 months ago has contributed to their number.

 

[Sadfield]

I wonder if the fake grass has reduced your insect and worm population, so you've given the slugs a habitat with fewer predators. Less starlings, blackbirds, frogs, squirrels, beetles etc. I was listening to a rant by the ex-footballer Chris Sutton about fake lawns ruining the eco-system.

 

[sg1009]

I get slugs if I don't keep a dehumidifier going downstairs during winter. It's a 1950s suspended timber floor house with some unavoidable gaps around the skirting boards and they will always find a way in. They drove me mad, literally slipping on them on the wooden floors because they're indistinguishable from the knots. It sounds like you've got a big pregnant one somewhere to have that many.
If it's to their liking (humidity wise) they will come and investigate.

 

[phildo79]

I get slugs if I don't keep a dehumidifier going downstairs during winter. It's a 1950s suspended timber floor house with some unavoidable gaps around the skirting boards and they will always find a way in. They drove me mad, literally slipping on them on the wooden floors because they're indistinguishable from the knots. It sounds like you've got a big pregnant one somewhere to have that many.
If it's to their liking (humidity wise) they will come and investigate.

Well I am gathering up lots of very small ones. I will be on the hunt again tonight.

As for the gaps, mate, transparent silicone bathroom sealant might be an option. I plugged up my skirting boards with unravelled cotton wool balls. But some of the gaps were so tight, I couldn't fill them. Out came the sealant. You see it because you know it's there but others won't.

 

[phildo79]

Only 8 captured last night. Could this war on mollusc terrorism be coming to an end?... Now watch this drive

 

[user 44889]

Only 8 captured last night. Could this war on mollusc terrorism be coming to an end?... Now watch this drive

Don't stop... for every 1 you kill your thinning the population. 1 slug turns into 40/ 200 plus in 12 months with breeding. Nature thins this number considerably but you could still end up with 50 plus. Don't relocate.. destroy them. As you have stated it's a War.

 

[HSD]

We get a few a week in the kitchen, 1870s house so lots of entry points! Mopping floor with white vinegar in water with few drops lavender or rosemary oil seems to have dissuaded them, down by about half.

Has been a real problem on allotment in past years, tried all the usual apart from poisons unless you count my beer, had minimal damage this year having used homemade garlic spray and strulch (mineralised straw), though very hot summer probably helped.

 

[Sadfield]

Only 8 captured last night. Could this war on mollusc terrorism be coming to an end?... Now watch this drive

Somewhere on mumsnet there's a thread from a distraught woman asking about the 200 fold increase in slugs over the last week.

 

[Brewed_Force]

If I have a dodgy brew I put some of it in a low container and leave it out overnight, next morning there's usually a few slugs on the bottom (death by beer, nice).
They seem to go for the darker beers more, mustn't be lager louts.

 

[Agentgonzo]

For keeping slugs out of brewing equipment, I've found that if you put a strip of velcro (spiky side out) all around the bottom of your brewing kit, it discourages slugs from crawling up, over and into your kit. I used to find some slug trails over the outside of my kit as I store it in an outside cupboard. The spiky velcro seems to discourage them crossing the velcro and getting up onto the body of my kit. It works like broken glass/sand/coffee for them. Seems to work quite nicely for me for the last 6 months

 

[phildo79]

For keeping slugs out of brewing equipment, I've found that if you put a strip of velcro (spiky side out) all around the bottom of your brewing kit, it discourages slugs from crawling up, over and into your kit. I used to find some slug trails over the outside of my kit as I store it in an outside cupboard. The spiky velcro seems to discourage them crossing the velcro and getting up onto the body of my kit. It works like broken glass/sand/coffee for them. Seems to work quite nicely for me for the last 6 months

That might be more by chance than anything else. I've seen videos of slugs crawling over all sorts of 'deterrents' like broken glass, sandpaper etc. They don't care. Same with copper pipe, that is supposed to give them a shock. If they really want to get to something, it seems very little will stop them. Best form of defence, that I have found, is to block their access.

And you don't have to waste beer on traps. Apparently it is the yeast that attracts them. So water and some cheap baking yeast should also work.

 

[Agentgonzo]

That might be more by chance than anything else. I've seen videos of slugs crawling over all sorts of 'deterrents' like broken glass, sandpaper etc. They don't care. Same with copper pipe, that is supposed to give them a shock. If they really want to get to something, it seems very little will stop them. Best form of defence, that I have found, is to block their access.

And you don't have to waste beer on traps. Apparently it is the yeast that attracts them. So water and some cheap baking yeast should also work.

It could just be snake oil. Or it could just not be a black and white situation. I'm sure it/glass acts like a deterrent and will deter a slovenly slug, but not a determined one. Maybe it's been just enough of a deterrent for me, or maybe it's luck