#slug pellets

[mydecorative]

Tips For Keeping Harmful Bugs Out Of Your Garden https://mydecorative.com/?p=73871

[from-tiny-pennies]

I cannot think of anything positive to say about slugs.  Really, not one thing. So I do as much as I can to keep them away from my plants.  And out of the kitchen.  Yes, there has been more than one occasion when I have walked into the kitchen in bare feet and *squelch*.  So out come the slug pellets.

Now if you have pets, or small children, who you are worried might think ‘oh, that small bright blue pellet laying on the ground looks tasty’, then you may be looking for alternatives.  Look no further.

Copper Tape.

This creates a protective barrier.  Slugs and snails are repelled by the small electric charge naturally contained in the copper face. Being self adhesive, it is easy to fix onto pots, seed trays, garden furniture, even onto sturdy plants.  I bought several boxes of this a while back.  I wrap it around pots and have even put it around the air bricks in the walls of the house.

If you cannot get hold of any tape, you can stick copper coins to the pots.

Create a physical barrier.

Zlug creates a 100% natural, biodegradable physical barrier for slugs and snails. It is safe for children, birds, pets and earthworms. It also acts as a soil conditioning mulch with a pleasing scent and appearance. Zlug needs to be applied generously to encircle the plants to be protected. Make sure you have removed any unwanted visitors from inside the barrier!

  Egg Shells and Human Hair.

All sorts of materials such as lime, bark, crushed eggshells, wood ash, human hair and soot are said to make effective slug barriers, sprinkled on the ground around plants. The idea is that the barrier either dries out the slime that the slugs move on or that it irritates them so they will not cross it. Make a smooth seed bed type surface before applying a good layer of the material, a few inches wide so the little blighters cannot get underneath.

Employ a pest to get rid of a pest.

Slugs are eaten by frogs, toads, hedgehogs, centipedes, ground beetles, slow worms and fireflies, so make sure you don’t use any chemical sprays which could harm them. Providing suitable habitat and food will encourage these beneficial creatures to live in your garden.  BUT do not introduce an animal that is not native in your area.  Doing this generally does not end well (think Cane Toads in Australia).

Aluminium Sulphate.

Slug killers based on aluminium sulphate are not organic, but they are environmentally friendly. As well as killing young slugs they act as a deterrent keeping them away from plants. Apply the aluminium sulphate close to and around plants to be protected.  Avoid touching the plants with the solid as this can cause them harm. If you use kibbled aluminium sulphate you will need to break up any large crystals before using.

Remove them by hand.

Touching a slug is the last thing I would want to do, but many people will do this, usually launching the unfortunate creature over the nearest fence.  On damp evenings, and even on damp days, slugs will be out and about. This is the time to go out, with a torch if it is dark, armed with a salty water pot to pick up any slugs you find.  This is unlikely to reduce the slug populations in the long run, but it can be the most satisfying.  If you do not want to touch the slugs, wear gardening gloves or use a trowel.

So there are just six alternatives to Slug Pellets.  Are there any others that you use?

Six alternatives to Slug Pellets

I cannot think of anything positive to say about slugs.  Really, not one thing. So I do as much as I can to keep them away from my plants. 

Six alternatives to Slug Pellets I cannot think of anything positive to say about slugs.  Really, not one thing. So I do as much as I can to keep them away from my plants. 

[carrotnews]

Had a slight accident with the slug pellets.

[colossalcelestial-blog]

My mum: I'm going to kill some slugs later.

[growinguk]

7th September. The outdoor pak choi has been eaten so we put more slug pellets down. We also unravelled the sheets so that it's not folded in two to let more light onto the leaves.