Man - now the slugs are lovin my brugs. I'm not sure I have what it takes to be a brug grower. Does the battle ever end? I think I've bought more chemicals and fertilizers in the last 3 months than I have in all my gardening years. And my brugs still look like [deleted].
Slugs
Glory
Jun 06, 2002
Poppy,
Don't give up now the best is yet to come....the flowers. I have some along the back of my house that don't look to good either...yellow leaves. I believe mine are getting to much sun but have completely run out of shade or maybe I put to much food on them. If these guys kick the bucket I'll replace them with more.
Poppysue, crush up some egg shells in the blender and spread them around the base of the plants. I thought I would lose the battle, but I think they are on the decline for now.
Poppysue, the slugs got into my GH this spring too. Probably laid eggs in the plants from the fall and hitch hiked a ride in. They are a real nuisance. And we have huge slugs on the west coast, banana slugs. YUKKKKKK! Try wrapping tin foil around the stalk of the brug. Seems to help a bit. Also copper seems to help. Eggs shells help too. They are one critter I really hate.
I went on slug patrol today - with a pair of scissors in hand. I must have snipped a couple hundred of them in half. The rainy weather has brought them out in full force.
What a great idea Poppysue, thanks. I go snail hunting at around midnight most nights. The slugs are all stretched out on the top of leaves like they are moonbathing. Probably too full of my plants to move much! I always pick them off and then stomp on them. I hate it, the snails are not bad as they are not sliming me as I murder them. I will definitely try scissors!!!
Kell, I step on them too. Sometimes I feel guilty, but I get over it when I see what they've done to my brug leaves. I've been finding "earwigs" in the tips of my brugs. Do they eat the leaves? The book says they are "harmless, but I've been finding holes in my leaves where they are.
i have snails, but wonder if the birds or something eat slugs? i go out often at night with the flash light to visit my brugs, and i'm not sure what they even look like, but haven't seen anything strange knock on wood. love that decription of those full slugs moon bathing on the brug leaves.
I found two striped (black/cream or yellow) catepillars on my large brug this morning. I saw droppings where they had been. Looked like there should have been more, but didn't find any others. Since I was afraid the cats were future butterflies, I threw them in another area where there are lots of weeds, hoping they'll be satisfied.
Be sure and look under pots on the ground or anything else slugs will hide under. I find them there constantly.
Sink a 6 ounce plastic drinking cup, up to it's rim, in your brug. pot. Fill it with cheap beer or yeast and water mixed, prop up a flower pot or a small board over it (the shade will also help draw the slugs), and the pests will be drawn to the beer, fall in and drown, and you can empty it easily. I just keep mine there all the time, even when I over-winter them. It works great and uses no chemicals.
I checked with my local trading friend robin, and she says it has been so dry here the last few years she hasn't seen many slugs. i can't believe there is a bug i don't have. plenty of snails though, wish there was a market for them.
Arlene, there is, in France....
LOL
Cala, ear wigs destroy the heart leaves WITH the buds. They are real pests.