I have so many plants with holes.. so I go out and to sprinkle slug bait and hear that "snap" .... My heart sinks... Yes.. it was a darling bicolor salvia I grew from seed, not a brug... laying on the ground.. so I pick it up to see if I can find any slugs cause there are soooooo many holes.. I found em.. slugs.. lots of them.. but guess what? THEY WERE THE SIZE OF A GRAIN OF RICE! Tiny.. I mean TINY... so now what? A whole new generation of the slimy suckers? I'll get em.. but I just thought I'd share this since it took me a couple of months to find them... I REALLY couldn't be 100% positive till I found what was making the holes.. Now I am sure.
edited to say... Now I am sure... AGAIN, This time.. LOL
This message was edited May 4, 2007 12:38 PM
That tell tale "snap" we don't want to hear
I have those holes also. When I bring the plants out of the greenhouse to repot, there's holes burrowed in the potting soil and the holes are full of snails. It's been dry here so I guess they went to the greenhouse to get watered. I have to fight them every year. I have to find something that isn't poison to my dogs.
Ada,
I know what you mean about the slugs. During wet summers I have seen them climb three to four feet to the very top of brug seedlings to get at the tip growth. And you know if they eat out the tip it will set the bloom time on the seedling back quite a bit.
I have used this product (Escar-Go) for a few years now with pretty good results and you don't have to worry about it poisoning your pets either. I still think that beer traps or putting down boards are the best controls though, but they are more labor intensive, and if you are like me you don't have the time.
Here's a link to the company that sells it. http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=2111&ss=escargo
Thanks, David. I'll check into this product. I thought this was the snail capitol here. LOL Nothing like starting to clean the old soil off and sticking your hand on a slimy snail. LOL Yuck!!!
If NC is the snail capital, the PNW is definitely the slug capital. If I'm negligent, I can sit on my porch in the evenings and practically listen to them munching in the garden. Last year I was diligent about spreading Sluggo (iron phosphate pellets -- pet and wildlife safe) every few weeks starting with spring planting. It was much, much easier than beer traps and I think more effective. Another huge advantage was not having to keep the dogs out of the beer traps (the gross factor on catching the dogs out on their morning constitutional sampling slug filled beer traps was too much!).
You know I think Escar-Go and Sluggo are both the same stuff! I bought Escar-Go from Gardens Alive 2 years ago and finally got around to using it last year. My abutilons are usually snail and slug baby nurseries. At first I didn't think it worked because I saw no bodies. But then I realized there were no more eaten leaves!!
Then I found Slug and Snail Bait at HD for $9.99 for 2 pounds which is the same stuff as Escar-Go I do believe though I can't find the ingredients on the Gardens Alive website. Iron phosphate. Schultz makes it and it is pet safe and really works! And no mailing costs! BTW, jus tin case yo do not see it - - it wasn't located with the slug stuff either but by the check out in the nursery department.
I oderd the Escar-Go. I had a $25 off coupon but I'll definately check HD. As long as it does the job and doesn't hurt my pets, I don't care what it is. LOL
You can't beat that, Ada! But when you have to pay for it, look at HD. It is the same stuff but much cheaper.
Kell, you are right, it is the exact same stuff and a whole lot cheaper. I don't have a HD near me, but I will be checking at Lowe's to see if they carry it.
Also, another product that Gardens Alive! sells, Serenade Solutions Biofungicide; is available at places like Lowe's and Wal-Mart. And just like the slug and snail bait, it is a lot cheaper.
I probably need to buy a truck load of it. LOL I think insects along with the snails/slugs will be bad this year. My greenbeans haven't been up but a few weeks and the leaves look like someone shot them with a shotgun. The leaves are so holey.
This message was edited May 7, 2007 5:59 PM
I litely dusted mine with seven and put sanil bait in the pots. I have some leaves that just have the main vein left. Mine did get damaged by a hail storm but then continued to get worse so it must be bugs but I haven't found any! I even went outside with a flashlight to look one night... nothing but half eaten brugs in the morning.
Tammie