Oh, okay, I applogize for being a brat. Just kidding anyways. But hasn't this been a fun thread. I have really learned a lot but I think I am going to have to break down and buy some pellets as they keep eating my strawberries. Its making me mad
This message was edited Jun 11, 2009 2:14 PM
Do you think it's all slugs? I'm sure some of my plant damage is voles . . .
Jan, Kathy was right, but thanks also for this whole thread! Ah, well, now I also know your real name.
boy, do I feel stupid. HEhe.
Katie59 what are voles, once again I show my ignorance.
Don't feel stupid!! It's pretty easy on these threads sometimes to feel like you get overlooked.
Voles are sometimes referred to as country mice. They are about the size of mice but have longer snouts and shorter tails. They travel underground mostly and they eat plants fruits roots. There's some stuff on them online. They were relatively new to me until I moved out into the country. There are several threads on Dave's right now about them since they're eating the roots of people's bulbs.
Kathy
And don't forget the veggies. They love carrots!!
How do you get rid of them? I have seen a few tiny holes but thought it was something else. Now I have a dog in the yard and I was under the assumtion that most little critter like that don't like the smell of dogs. guess I was wrong.
Jan.
Do they live in holes like goffers?
I grow quite a few Hostas too.
I have used pennies around the base...and yes...that works well!
I can't stand touching slugs or snipping them in HALF..*gasp*! I do however...HATE THEM. I have several pairs of metal tongs from the $1.00 store to pick them up. About once I week I walk around and tip over all my pots and there is always a few of those &*$%$##*@ hiding under my ornamental pots. I drop them into bags, tie the top tight... and put them in the trash.
I also use the pet friendly bait pellets, and I put it out early. I will crush some up next time. Great tip.
Gourdbearer, I have heard that the easiest way to get rid of voles is to move. :-)
LOL @ MichaelZ...
I once found a giant trap door spider in my home (it was like a modified tarantula)...and I considered burning my home down in case it had laid eggs...LOLOL
Jan, check out Pixy's thread on voles from last month. The tiny holes do sound like voles.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/986953/
There are lots of methods cited to fight them. Some have had some success in getting rid of them; some have not. People all over the U.S. have had issues - there has been crop damage as well as damage in private gardens.
There are links in this thread to other threads and to information about voles and how they behave. It's certainly worth the read.
I don't like to kill slugs, but I don't mind touching them. I just pick them off and fling them out into the center of the grass or into the neighboring woods or into a wooded area on my property. I pick up dog droppings weekly before I mow and I also stick them in the bag that goes into the garbage. That seems like win/win for them and for me.
I'm interested in hearing how the pennies trick will work!
This message was edited Jun 12, 2009 4:00 PM
Thanks MichaelZ but I will have to pass on that suggestion. HEheheheh. What ever it is that is eating my berries just takes a little bite and thats it. It don't mind shareing but quite taking bites out of all of them. I am going to buy some pellets.
I did take our jar of pennies out and spread them aroung the plants we shall see if that works or not. The gardener had a good laugh at that. They counldn't understand why all the pennies were out there. They just mow the lawn so they don't understand my grief.
Gourdbeader, that sounds just like slugs. I have the wild strawberries around the yard in lots of places and the slugs seem to excavate one area, which then looks as though a bite has been taken out of the fruit.
Katie, you are too nice to slugs. I've been known to throw them into the driveway, but generally if they are too big to snip (really fast, eyes closed, saying a prayer for forgiveness) I throw them into the recycle bin. I've also been known to stomp on them.
Vole. Nasty creatures. I've done so many hours of research on these critters and it seems like there is no tried and true method for dealing with them. One thing that appears certain is that if you have moles, the voles will follow. This is what I get for letting the moles alone since I don't really mind them. I am surprised at how deep the vole tunnels are, too. I had a lot of plants that didn't bloom this year - mostly iris and peonies so far- and I'm wondering if the voles are at fault. I was upset at my cats the other day because they deposited a dead shrew on the doorstep. Wrong rodent! Shrews will eat baby voles so let's leave them be, shall we???
Sorry, you guys, I have no sympathy for slugs whatsoever. The either get snipped, stepped on or spayed with the ammonia solution. Perhaps because we are surrounded by natural areas that they are such a problem with us. A neighborhood yard might be a bit easier to control.
Here is one of the lovely little critters just finishing the top of my salvia in the middle of a potted collection that is on top of a pedestal!
Yes, it is slugs. I caught them in the act. Stuffed inside one giant strawberry. Last night I made little slip covers out of old shear curtains to protect my biggies. Today my husband brought me home some slug pellets that are animal safe. I took off the first bag and one big fat slug fell out. I have no mercy for the slimy. No mercy asked and none given. They are going to all be gone by the end of the week.
I'm so glad that slugs don't fly.
Hear! Hear!
That would be terrible!!! It's bad enough as it is.
OMG - flying slugs. The stuff of nightmares!
Yesterday I was snipping off the spent iris blooms and saw a bunch of slugs and had no trouble at all throwing them into the street so they will be crushed by the next passing vehicle. If any remain unscathed I will drive my car over them and then back up and do it again, and again.
Pix so sorry you have voles. Eeeekkkk.
Todays harvest, I have discovered a strang thing. I have two plants that are producint deformed strawberries. What do you make of this
Then on the other bale I have these beauties. Yum yum
Most of the berries look good today. I only found a couple with little slug bites out of them. I am hoping that they keep eating the bait and not my berries
don't compare the fruit shape of homegrown with what is available at the market.
The fruit that is sold there is selected for size & shape: what is pretty, sells.
Pretty does not = great flavour, though.
Also - mine do the same - possibly due to the weather?
Judi- the best part about tossing slugs into the street or driveway is that since they are carnivores and will follow their unfortunate comrades into the street (on a rainy day). But they can create a "slick".
This message was edited Jun 14, 2009 9:52 PM
Oh, Arizona, that paints a gross picture in my mind. hehehe Kind of reminds me of the time of year in Arizona when all the tarantulas cross the roads. Ewwww very gross
Can't remember where, but went through frogs once. Ickkkkky!!
I also get some strawberries that are sorta lumpy in shape. I read once that it could be caused by poor pollination, cold temperatures when blooming, or boron deficiency. I didn't find out how to remedy a boron deficiency with organic methods though, so I have not done anything about that potential. We got some mason bee homes to help the bees. I thought about covering the plants with frost blanket overnight when they were blooming, but it would have meant taking it on and off every day (otherwise it would cause poor pollination) and that was too much of a pain to manage.
What is strange is that the rest of the plants look fine and they are all in the same space. Hum. Go figure.
I'd blame it on moles...........they seem rampant this time of year in my yard. But then again, I wouldn't have any drainage it some places with out them.
Sluggo slug bait. Totally safe for pets, kids etc. They eat the pellets and go elsewhere to die. A little more expensive, and usually found in a nursery, but worth it.
Vicki
Yep Vickie, thats what I ended up using. All other methods failed to give me the results that I needed to protect my much valued vegies, herbs and my wonderful Strawberries, much to my wallets dissappointment and mine. It is pretty darn expensive. I wonder why? Is the industry trying to promote," Life For Slugs". Hehehe
Well, my friends......its the life of my vegies and flowers and my strawberries that I am concerned with. So There you ole slimmy buggers. "Death TO The Slug" Hehehehehehehe.....
Sorry, I just got a little carried away. ;-}
Jan
Go get 'em.
Try Moth Balls down the holes for Voles.
I found a 4" long orange slug in my courtyard three days ago and threw it out onto the road. Yesterday it was back in the courtyard so again I threw it out to the road. THEN I thought darn I should have taken a picture. It was very colorful.
