Help needed with slugs and snails

I will be out with a torch this evening

blooming snails and slugs are still out in force. I used slug nematodes, twice and they were effective but there are so many around that some have escaped the nematodes and are breeding

I have reverted back to my old method from the 70s. I am now walking around with some salt water in a bucket. Bit by bit, my dwarf bean plants have been munched right down to base.

I picked lots of the normal snails this morning and a few baby slugs, which actually do a lot of damage

Yesterday on Classic FM I heard a tip from Alan Titchmarsh re slugs and snails. He advised prowling around after dark, picking them off and removing them to a place where they couldn’t do any harm.

Not much use in a small garden like mine! The buggers soon find their way back! Maybe he’s thinking everyone has at least a quarter of an acre. A bit like a weekend Telegraph article I read years ago, saying how good it was to entertain in the garden in summer, because, ‘One can always go for a walk, have a swim, or play a game of tennis.’

That was just one of the reasons we stopped taking the weekend Telegraph.

I agree -I used to feed the birds and I didn't have a slug and snail problem .
I had to stop - the reason ?
My neighbour has four cats and they are keen bird hunters .
They are hefty pets and have smashed through the trellis .
One neighbour has complained and even thrown stones at them .
I had a row with her over the stone throwing now she has a new fence with an anti cat strip I think that's what it is ) on the top .
When I eventually replace my fence I'll be thinking about something similar !

Ali23

I think the lack of birds has had a long term effect on the slug population. It’s just a theory but since I’ve stopped killing the aphids the bird population has increased snd the slug population has decreased.

I think you are right about that, Ali23. I don't see anything like as many birds in the garden as I used to.

I went out last night and checked my bird table and there were so many slugs and snails on my bird table having a right old party.🤷‍♀️
I felt a bit mean getting rid of them because they had climbed all the way up to the actual table bit which must’ve taken them ages…

I do think the copper tape has some effect, especially if you use the wider one. The trouble is that if you are putting it on when there are already slugs in the container, it will seem as if it doesn't work!

Nearly all of my bean plants have been eaten, and after reading this thread, I'm going to try the garlic spray.

I also ordered several different varieties of bean seeds, and yesterday sowed lots of them in my containers. I'm hoping that a few might survive the slugs, and will keep sowing them every few days. Seeds are cheaper than plants!

I'm also trying putting more beer in each slug trap, and have bought some Strulch.

I think the lack of birds has had a long term effect on the slug population. It’s just a theory but since I’ve stopped killing the aphids the bird population has increased snd the slug population has decreased.

This is a simple, short tip for helping to get rid of snails and slugs
Less than a minute long.
I watch this guy a lot

youtube.com/shorts/QhenREc4oa8?si=TTq8N2g8b6ZyDoXC

Beer traps are easy to make and work really well.

westendgirl

I'm trying vaseline around the rim of pots . I read about this in a gardening site. Someone also recommended putting down a cucumber which the beasties will eat and then you can pick them off . I also use the wool pellets.

I was going to try vaseline round my herb pots today but couldn't find it, so in desperation used Vicks 🤣. I also sprayed the area round the pots with a solution of vinegar/water. The heavens opened an hour later so I expect everything has now washed away & the wee b******s are having a field day 🙄

Yes Beechnut they do.

Perhaps they're increasing because we are all more careful what we use.

I have had increasing problems each year.
Last year was just too much, and I gave up.

This year I gave up and bought the blue slug pellets, can’t remember the name. I placed them as carefully as I could with dogs in mind and I’m thrilled to say it has been amazing.

I pulled my forced rhubarb stems. The little shoots that were coming up I see have been chewed, by what I don’t know. Do slugs and snails like rhubarb?

I'm trying vaseline around the rim of pots . I read about this in a gardening site. Someone also recommended putting down a cucumber which the beasties will eat and then you can pick them off . I also use the wool pellets.

Saw a lady talking about this on Gardeners World " Chelsea" last night. Lady telling Monty how she keeps Slugs and Snails away from her Hosta's.
Garlic Water so I looked it up...

Take 2 full bulbs of garlic and add them to approximately 2L of water in a saucepan.
Boil until soft and squash with the back of a fork to release as much juice as possible.
Sieve out skins and bits so you are left with a cloudy liquid concentrate.
Dilute approximately 2 tablespoons to 5L of water in a sprayer or watering can.
Spray or water over your plants once a week February-October.
High dosage and more regular applications may be needed in wet weather.

Going to give this a go...

I'm going to try it, on the off chance.
Apparently it kind of gives off a shock to the slugs.

I use copper tape around the rim of patio flower pots which seems to stop the slugs.

Yep, I've seen on YouTube, BlueBelle, loads of the blighters swanning around without a care, on copper, eggshells, all sorts.

They say that handpicking them off is as good a method as any, but I really hate them!!! Ugh!!!

Miss adventure I ve got a photo somewhere of a snail happily sliding over the copper tape!!!! I wouldn’t bother buying it again

I used some organic slug pellets last week, but found that the magpies keep coming and eating them.

Diatemaceous earth is supposed to work well, but of course, as soon as you water, it loses its power, and I tried it in a really hot summer.

I've just bought copper tape (apparently it has to be at least 5cm wide) and my "Sluggo".

I'll report back, although this year I've hardly any plants at all, due to... well... slugs, snails, and stuff.

Grandmama I grow runner beans like you and the slugs found them while they were still in the greenhouse! Yesterday I sowed more in pots and am keeping them in the utility room for as long as possible.
We've had many plant casualties this year including several clematis. I get fed up with Monty and co telling us to live with slugs - it's no joke when they kill expensive plants. I use yeast traps and wildlife friendly slug pellets (which appear to also be slug friendly!).
I have noticed they are ignoring red cabbages so I'm going to try red lettuce too

Thank you for all your replies. I do have a pond but the frogs don't offer help. Last night at 10pm I popped loads of snails and slugs into my collecting pot (they are now in the green bin). I have chicken wire round some of my plots to keep the foxes and cats off and the large snails get stuck in the wire so easily caught. This year they have eaten perennials, most of the honesty seedlings have gone and they're now eating comfrey which is quite tough. They were eating onion shoots and garlic leaves last night. Thanks for reassurance about slug pellets. I grow my R Beans in toilet rolls and plant the whole toilet roll out. The first batch haven't grown at all, not one of them, so I'm going to plant out the next lot directly. Has anyone tried making a garlic stew? I saw it on YouTube.