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Is it suitable to crush slugs while gardening?
anne1990
Posts: 2
Hello everyone,
like many other gardeners, i am having huge problems with the slug population in my garden, they are having a feast on my plants which i planted with great effort.
Of course i wanted to get rid of them, but i did not want to stroll arount my garden with a knife the whole time or lay out chemical "weapons" against them. Because of this, i invested in a pair of wellies so that i could easily crush them while i am working in the garden.
My question is: Does this really help to decrease the slug population? And are there other members here who also use this method? 
Greetings.
0
Posts
a quick snip with the secateurs is what I do with slugs. Or crush snails underfoot.
What Pansyface says and more
everytime you upset the balance of organisms in your garden by killing part of it you make way for another 'pest' to move in.
I haven't killed anything for years (except mozzies in the bedroom) and if I have a 'pest' problem it hasn't come to my notice
In the sticks near Peterborough
I suggest you order "The little book of slugs" from the Centre for Alternative Technology. It's only about £2, and describes numerous eco-friendly ways of combating the slimy little @#£&+%!s. It's also rather entertaining.
My Father was an old time gardener, his motto was everything has a use, sowing or planting he would say, one row for the birds and beasties two rows for us. Of course that was when the garden was to feed the family not some glossy extra room, we also let the chickens out and they did little damage though the wee beasties vanished. What is more important, a totally pristine plant, one with a few raggy leaves and balanced garden or the demise of something nature intended as part of the mystery of life, why are we here? A thin ring of slaked lime would do the trick.
Frank.
I have hedgehogs,frogs and toads and still have loads of slugs.
I am sure that the few you do get rid of by squishing,slicing,drowning or even poisoning will make much of a dent in the population as a whole.
Even if you use nematodes you have to use every 6 weeks as it is just a control.
Apparently every cubic metre of garden will on average contain up to 200 slugs so I think whatever you do they will be safe from extinction!!!
Totally agree Madpenguin
it will not effect the overall Eco system to kill a few of these slimy monsters. We all have views on if it will effect the food chain but are we forgetting that slugs and snails breed at a high rate. They become the gardeners main adversary from Spring, when new growth appears untill the beginning of November. I slice them up and place them on the bird tables where they are enjoyed by a multitude of wild birds. I'm sure those birds would thank me, if they could talk, for an easy meal
Everyone making good points and arguments - this is one of the most common topics on the forum.
I don't make any efforts to cull mine in the garden - it is their garden really - not mine! As for those precious plants and new growth - some clever individualised attention is required to protect the plants. A solution which causes no harm, is easy and effective is the Holy Grail, but an arsenal of pots, copper tape, rough mulch and hand-picking (probably at dusk so a torch and rubber gloves required!) can assist those vulnerable plants.
It all depends on how serious a problem you have. It is attractive but false to argue that a natural balance will establish itself because gardens are not natural, they are a feast for slugs. I have a real problem in my garden and I solve it by going out on spring and summer evenings, especially in damp weather, and picking off slugs. There is no way I want their remains lying around so I put them in a bucket in very salty water, then they go down the drain. I aim to get 400 OR to spend about one hour on this task, whichever comes first and I have collected almost 600 in the high season! Does it work? Yes. I am able to grow plants that didn't last a single night now.
I chuck snails and slugs on the lawn or compost heap.
Killing isn’t something one should do without good cause. And given that it’s not even effective, it’s not something I’ll do.