SLUGS BE GONE!!!!!

HELP!!! Please will someone give me some expert advise on getting rid of the SLUGS!!! I just get some nice things popping up and go back the next day, and son of a gun,a slimy slug has feasted on the new leaves and cut off the top. I have tried salt sprinkling but that only works till the rain comes. I have a furry four legged friend that I don't want to ingest what ever I put down so help me please.

Iron phosphate pellets are safe for pets, but will get rid of slugs if they ingest it. I use this when my plants are small, to give them a chance to grow big enough to handle a little slug damage. I also put out boards here and there that attract the slugs during the heat of the day. When I turn over the board, I pick off the slugs and put them in a vat of soapy water, which I dump out in the woods. I have heard that a spray bottle with a little ammonia in the water is an effective slug spray.

Gourdbeader, I use a combo of Corry's slug bait and hand squishing. I know that the slug bait is not good for critters...so I use only a very small quantity around the plant that I want to protect. Put it out when you know that it is going to be a dry night, and dry morning. Put it out towards the end of the day, and then go out and check the baited plant first thing in the am. Squish any slugs that you find in the bait. Squished slugs become a new bait that is not only not hazardous, but not appealing to your four legged friends. Then keep morning/evening patrols squishing those that you see. It is a big chore, but that is the ONLY thing that has been effective in my yard. There are even some spots that I can plant marigolds in now..........

I use both kinds and use the nasty stuff only very close to the plant like Rarejem says. Another couple of tips:
1.If you use the iron phosphate stuff, sometimes it's too big to get the smaller slugs. Crush it up into smaller bits.
2.Also, pay no attention to the directions that tell you not to put the stuff, either kind, on the plant itself. When I protect my hostas or other plants with the same growth pattern, I put some down into the crown of the plant because there are tiny slugs that live there and begin chewing from that position. They would never get caught by slugbait around the edges of the plant.
3. Next year, begin baiting for slugs in February when stuff first starts coming up. Bait every single week to ten days during the spring and early summer. It's a pain, but you drastically reduce number s this way.
4. A very entertaining and satisfying evening activity involves a squirt bottle of ammonia water and a flashlight. You might have to squirt big ones twice. That's really gross, but it works. Plus it does not hurt your plants at all, basically adding nitrogen to the soil. I practically drown the crowns of hostas with this solution in order to get the slugs hiding there. I grow a lot of hostas and I don't like that lacy look.
5. Garden with a pair of scissors at hand. snip snip snip. You get the message.

Ewwwwww...... but thank you all so much. I will have to get some of those Iron phosphate stuff and the ammonia I already have along with sissors. I tried the beer bait but my DSH objected to that. For the obvious reasons. hehe
I planted some new herbs yesterday but haven't been out yet this morning. I am hoping that the rain kept the slugs inside. Hehehe. yea right.
Thanks again
Jan

Pixy, what ratio of ammonia to water do you use in your slug spray? I want to try that one this year.

One more note: Don't leave the iron phosphate container outside overnight. I left my plastic shaker bottle of iron phosphate pellets out in the garden so I could sprinkle at will without having to return to the house to get it. This worked well for a week, and then a raccoon got into it, chewed out the bottom and ate $7 worth of the product. Unfortunately it did no harm to the raccoon's digestion. The beast has been digging in my vegetable garden for worms under the mulch and does not bother to be careful not to dig up broccoli plants too. Last night, it stole a piece of chicken bait from the live trap we set out, and managed to get out before the door came down. It also managed to get the apple chunk out of 10 rat traps that I put out to catch the voles. I did hear a shriek in the night, so maybe at least it had its nose bonked.

Do you get any voles in your traps? I have been unsuccessful in trapping any so far. I recently noticed that one of my special arisimaes was falling over. Guess I'll have to pot that one.
I use about 1/8-1/4 cup in a large spray bottle that is 32 oz of water. That's an approximate ratio. I'm not much of a measurer for that solution.

I had forgotten to mention the ammonia concoction...I use it all the time, mostly for the tiny slugs. Much easier than cutting. We use 32 oz spray bottles as well, and have a line drawn at the bottom at the 6 oz mark...6oz ammonia to the rest water. When you are using it in the spring, it is nice to use hot water as it helps keep your hands warm too! The only damage I have ever seen from this method is on Scotch Moss....it seems to be burned by the mixture.

I caught a dozen voles earlier this Spring in traps, plus a few mice, and a rat. I caught absolutely nothing a few nights ago when I put them out, but all but one were sprung and the bait gone. I think it was the raccoon, or else I am dealing with extra smart rodents..

What a great thread! New ideas to try. Going to mix up a squirt bottle today. Thanks everyone!

I am a big fan of the beer in a catfood can method of killing slugs. I also had a dog who was very fond of that method, but that's a different story. ^_^

ROFLOL Wonder if cats like it too! Or raccoons for that matter!

That's it! We need to put out beer for the raccoon, get it good and soused before it enters the trap, and then it will not be sharp enough to escape with the bait.

I have also used a slug saloon made of a pop bottle with the upper part inverted and taped into the lower part. They can crawl in, but they cannot crawl out. It was a lot of bother to make, and did not catch anything any better than less complicated methods, but it sure looked cool. That design would work for keeping pets out of the poisonous slug bait if you want to use it.

Soferdig had a great suggestion for using the beer-in-a-bowl method, which wasn't working well for me. He said to put the sunken bowl under a big flat rock that has been raised up off the ground about 1 inch. The blasted things like to hide under the rock. This method would work for slug bait as well, and if the rock was heavy enough the pets couldn't get to it. However, since we have the beautiful Willamette and Columbia rivers in our area any chemicals used eventually end up in the rivers and that's not good for salmon, or for those of us who eat the salmon! Only gardeners would consider squirting slugs an appropriate evening activity. I guess if you had a glass of wine in the other hand it might do. I love hostas too, so I'm going to try the spray. Thanks for that tip!

I love Worry Free (or Sluggo) slug bait and I also have this wonderful "slug stick" given to me by a dear friend that also works well as a walking stick. I try to keep a minimum of plants slugs like. I love growing lettuce so vigilance is in order.

Judi - you are spot on. But picture this - 2 spray bottles - one with the ammonia water, the other, a nice merlot. Have to consider which to spray in the mouth...

As far as the moss being burned: any plants with a preference for acidity will do fine if you spray with Vinegar water. You are basically changing the ph of the slug. The ratio is 1 to 1.

This year I'm growing lettuce, spinach and strawberries in big big pots and I put a band of 1" inch copper around each pot. I got the copper online from a company called 'Basic Copper' - less costly that in garden stores. I have tomatoes, pole beans, cukes and squash in raised beds so those I watch carefully. I also have sugar snap peas in the ground and the snails & slugs like those so I'm going to try the raised rock idea there. I know there critters are supposed to be eating rotten stuff and cleaning it all up but they are not doing their job and should be fired!

Hear hear Judi!
Or is that burned rather than fired?

This message was edited Jun 7, 2009 9:34 PM

Well, I am trying the ammonia and water as I had both of those things on hand. Money is tight in every direction. Feeding slugs is low on priority just now so I will have to use what I have got. I checked this morning and I think that it might be working. They distroyed a tomatoe plant and my basil that I just got in a trade. I am so upset. I hope I can still get it to grow if they didn't eat too much of it. I hate sharing my food with the slugs. Now if they were cute little bunnies or something along that line I might be a little more generous.

LOL you plant extras for those!

Ammonia water is very satisfying in terms of slug control, but remember you must spray the slug or it won't work. Also, larger slugs may need to be sprayed several times because they can put out a slime coat in response to the spray and it protects them somewhat. I prefer to take those out with scissors. Just look the other way and do it real fast.

In terms of the beer approach, it works great, but with 3/4 acre, that's a lot of beer, plus the disposal is simply digusting.

Copper keeps them away as well, so I hear. I read somewhere that someone used a circle of copper pennies to protect plants. I cannot vouch for it, but even in a slow economy most people have a number of pennies laying around to try with.

Pixy,

I agree that you shouldn't trust the ammonia on the big slugs...they seem to crawl away from almost anything!

I never thought about trying pennies as the "copper". I have a couple of tiny hostas that I might give that a try on. Twenty cents seems a small price to pay to let these little kids live! I will let you know if it works.

Regarding the pennies - my neighbor the garden designer told me the copper needs to be at least 1" thick or they can get over it. You might have to make a double row, but what a great use for all those pennies lying around! The drawback of the copper method is it doesn't kill the snails & slugs so they go off looking for meals with easier access.

Why are these creatures so ugly? We don't hate little bunnies, even though they can be as destructive.




This message was edited Jun 8, 2009 8:19 AM

EWWWW........ it just all sounds so disgusting huh? Slicing and dicing up the slugs. I wonder what they think of us? Ewww....now thats a scary thought. Hehe

You've got me remembering an older slug thread that was a lot of fun. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/747407/

Judi- I have heard about copper.....I will have to try it. Since I live on a small tributary of a creek I am always looking for non toxic measures.

OK I see what you mean Pix. I went out to the garden a little while ago with my squirt bottle of ammonia and H2O and headed for the hostas. Every time I got one I said "YES" - and the more I got the louder I spoke. My neighbor came out of his house and poked his head over the fence and said "What the hell is going on over there?" and I had to admit I was having a great time all by myself with my ammonia. I didn't even need a cocktail.

Judi--You go girl! I look at every squirt as one less hole in a plant or flower.

ROFLOL....good going Judi!

Oh yes, I will suck you all into my demented idea of a good time!! Who needs alcohol? Next I will have you all going outside in the dark with flashlights looking for vine weevils! Gardening at midnight. Who knew it could be so much fun??

Did you guys see this in the Hosta thread? They recommend putting a diluted ammonia mix on your hostas to prevent the new snail/slug starts.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/832617/

That was interesting. Thank you for posting! Spray the whole plant will be easier than slug hunting!! Although Judi makes it sound fun. LOL

I always spray the crown of the plant, but didn't know that I could use it as a soil drench to kill the eggs. That's interesting. I wonder why that isn't more widely known? That being said, I use a way stronger solution than 1:40, especially since I don't even measure the ammonia and am prone to using too much. But I've never had leaf burn from it. Likely that's because I'm almost always spraying at night.

I am so glad that I started this thread as it has sparked some really fun responses as well as usefull information. Thanks everyone. I have been using the amonia and water solution and I truely have seen a difference. I may mix up a stronger batch to use on the ground around the plants but I don't want to burn my bridges so to speak. Hehehe. I read where it says to use unscented but mine is a little scented. How big of a difference will that make? I think it is lemon scented. My nose seems to be losing its scent factors and I think it has something to do with age. Dang it anyways. Just so long as the taste buds stay in tact.

Jan





This message was edited Jun 10, 2009 1:58 PM

Kathy, thanks for the thread. I have used the ammonia for a few years but it never occurred to me to use it on the little pockets of eggs too! I have always wondered what the best way to destroy them was.

Just one more question about the ammonia: Does it affect the soil organisms? I wouldn't want to kill off beneficial soil flora and fauna by getting too enthusiastic with the slug eradication program.

Everything in moderation?

Ammonia turns to nitrogen in the soil, in my understanding. That's why I'm a little surprised that it can kill slug eggs in the soil. Maybe it kills them upon contact with them.
Here's a link to one of my favorite local gardening websites that talks about using ammonia in the garden, not about slugs in particular,, but about the soil issue:
http://www.paghat.com/ammonia.html

PNWMountain Girl, the name is Jan, not kathy, hehehe

Jan -

I think Sharon meant thanks for the link I had posted above, which is to a different thread on the site.

:-)