We have ducks. We don't 'own' them, but we do feed them. Though some never leave the property and some grew up here, others move freely between us and the local reservoirs. There are always more in winter.
They poke about in the garden, amongst the foliage, in the borders, and the meadow and the boggy bits. They do no harm to the plants, though small seedlings might fall foul ( ) of their flat feet.
I do not have a slug problem, even though it can be very wet here. (Certainly is at the moment!) Hosta and dahlias are largely untouched, things I plant out are not instantly eaten. I only really encounter slug damage in the greenhouse, where ducks cannot go but slugs can always find a way, but where it can usually be tracked to a culprit and dealt with. Maybe everyone should have a duck or two?
@Fire, just a thought. Did you make your beer traps nice and generous? I used deep glass jars with plenty of beer, sunk almost level with the soil, and had to remove loads of drowned slugs each morning. There has to be enough beer for them to slither in then get submerged. They are then unable to get out and that's that. Removing them is not pleasant but it is effective. Some 'slug pubs' I see on sale are just that. The slugs call in for a quick drink on their way past then on their way again!
@Fire Thanks for sharing your experiences from the nematode trials. My garden has become a haven for slugs. Though I have tried removing them during my late-evening hunts, they seem to multiply at a much faster rate whenever there is a drizzle. They have munched through many of the small dahlia plants and left them bereft of leaves, only a short stub of stem is there now. They have also attacked some of my chilly, aubergine and marigold plants. The smaller they are, almost every plant is vulnerable to slug attack
Oxford. The City of Dreaming Spires.
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils (roses). Taking a bit of liberty with Wordsworth
@Fire, just a thought. Did you make your beer traps nice and generous? I used deep glass jars with plenty of beer, sunk almost level with the soil, and had to remove loads of drowned slugs each morning.
I have used large glass jars, sunk in the ground. I'm on the Special Brew at the moment. I will try larger varieties of container. It certainly intrigues me as to why the slugs are not interested and never have been in this garden. I have tried them on and off for nine years and never had success.
In terms of attractants, the best I have found in my garden are peanuts. One year a bird feeder with peanuts in fell to the ground and produced a slug feeding frenzy overnight. When I saw it during a slug hunt I could barely see the feeder for the slugs.
@Fire Thanks for sharing your experiences from the nematode trials. My garden has become a haven for slugs. Though I have tried removing them during my late-evening hunts, they seem to multiply at a much faster rate whenever there is a drizzle. They have munched through many of the small dahlia plants and left them bereft of leaves, only a short stub of stem is there now. They have also attacked some of my chilly, aubergine and marigold plants. The smaller they are, almost every plant is vulnerable to slug attack
I have my dahlias in tall pots and they never been bothered by the hoards; except this year. For any plant beloved by slugs, I have to plant in tall pots. I've decided that I like foxgloves so much that I will grow them like this too.
I am interested in Spanish slugs particularly. If they really are not/less suseptible to nematodes (links above), then using nematodes in a garden might well make the situation worse (in some cases) as we would be knocking out the competiton of the Spanish slugs and giving them total hegemony. You could end up with the domination of one super slug, which could cause much more damage in the end.
I have used large glass jars, sunk in the ground. I'm on the Special Brew at the moment. I will try larger varieties of container. It certainly intrigues me as to why the slugs are not interested and never have been
In terms of attractants, the best I have found in my garden are peanuts. One year a bird feeder with peanuts in fell to the ground and produced a slug feeding frenzy overnight. When I saw it during a slug hunt I could barely see the feeder for the slugs.
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I have my dahlias in tall pots and they never been bothered by the hoards; except this year. For any plant beloved by slugs, I have to plant in tall pots. I've decided that I like foxgloves so much that I will grow them like this too.
https://sciencenordic.com/denmark-gardening-slugs/only-one-way-to-get-rid-of-spanish-slugs/1420123
@Fire