Thanks @Purplerain and yes @Dovefromabove I was talking about the bright blue ones with metaldehyde. I've resisted them so far because I believe they are very bad for wildlife (not that snails aren't wildlife, but I really don't want to hurt the things that eat them). The pellets containing ferric phosphate are what I've mainly used for the last eight years although I have come to the conclusion they just don't work. I've had them sprinkled all around things like salads and canterbury bells and watched slugs and snails squirming right over them to get to the plants! I agree with @hollie hock that beer traps do seem to help (not as much as the blue pellets though) but like Purplerain I can't stand emptying them, and I did feel sad seeing beetles that had fallen in and drowned. @Posy I take my hat off to you gathering all those slugs and snails - ugh!! Good to know that you can massively reduce the numbers over a season, so perhaps I will combine VERY careful use of protected blue pellets (ie keeping predators away from the dead things until I can dispose of the bodies) with bucket and torch patrols...
By the way @Posy - I can only DREAM of undamaged lupins...
Nematodes are the answer its 12 quid for 40 square meters or 25 for a 100 square meters and they work nearly instantly. I had a horrendous population of slugs and snails and I nematode each spring and if I remember late summer when eggs ate being laid. If you add the cost of pellets ot beer etc and the value I veg saved nematodes are a bargain.
Really do try buying direct on line. Sales pitch over , I am just a big fan like all who have tried them. It says you should re dose every 6 weeks but I do find twice a year works for me.
I agree with Nin they are not that expensive really and work a treat and completely harmless to wildlife or pets which is a huge bonus! I used them last year was really pleased with the results and have just ordered this years supply with extra for my allotment
Yes, but my garden is three quarters of an acre. My maths isn't good enough to work that out. And what about when the soil is too cold for the nematodes?
I've just had a read-up on nematodes (on the FAQs of a supplier's website) and they state that nematodes are not very effective against snails, which are my main problem. The reason being that most snails stay above ground whereas nematodes live under the soil and attack slugs there. So I'm afraid, even if they were cheap as chips and killed every slug in the garden they wouldn't be the solution for me
I have found them quite hit and miss. Some years they have been brilliant (I have two small plots, so it's not so expensive - about £20 all in). Last year I tried it again and the molluscs seemed as bad as ever. I have a lot of wood mulching and am fairly sure this is making the situation worse.
All wildlife love the mulch - I have so many worms and beetles and all sorts of things in it. But molluscs love it too. It's the conundrum of having a small wildlife orientated garden. I'm not sure how much we can chose exactly which wildlife we welcome. It's pretty fine for most of the summer, but very hard to get seedlings and small plants going. I wish I had more slug-eating birds. I don't have a lawn so don't get blackbirds or thrushes. I don't keep ducks and don't have hedgehogs.
I have a lawn but am very sad to say I haven't seen a thrush anywhere around here for at least ten years. When the children were very small I found a thrush's anvil in a field not far from our house but it's no longer in use. Such beautiful and useful birds... I wonder what happened to them all? They used to be so common in gardens. Is it all down to people using the blue slug pellets do you think?
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By the way @Posy - I can only DREAM of undamaged lupins...
All wildlife love the mulch - I have so many worms and beetles and all sorts of things in it. But molluscs love it too. It's the conundrum of having a small wildlife orientated garden. I'm not sure how much we can chose exactly which wildlife we welcome. It's pretty fine for most of the summer, but very hard to get seedlings and small plants going. I wish I had more slug-eating birds. I don't have a lawn so don't get blackbirds or thrushes. I don't keep ducks and don't have hedgehogs.