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First time growing lettuce

Jude100Jude100 Posts: 4
in Fruit & veg
We've had great crop of lettuce but lots of slugs.  Is it safe to eat lettuce after slugs have been on it if washed in water? Just read can be dangerous!

Posts

  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    edited June 2020
    Are you in the UK? If so, yes just wash well. I probably wouldn't eat a leaf with an obvious trail on it, but then again I don't have a problem with slugs eating my lettuce.

    There are various nasty things that have part of their life cycle in slugs, that can pass to humans worldwide, such as the nematode that causes rat lung worm, which can have nasty symptoms for humans, so is it possible that you were reading an article that applies in another country?

    As far as I know, there is no huge risk to humans from slugs in the UK, even if you ate one whole, dogs can pick up lung worm from eating them in the UK, it is not a species that infects humans though.
  • Jude100Jude100 Posts: 4
    Hi thanks for your reply - yes we are in UK so I feel lot happier having read your message.
    Thanks
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    They are after my strawberries, not the lettuce. 😭
  • Jude100Jude100 Posts: 4
    Think will grow lettuce in a trough or pot next year so they can't get to it so easily :)
  • Sabina13Sabina13 Posts: 113
    Don't count on it Jude! I have my lettuce in a 4ft raised bed and yep, you guessed it, slugs trails in there... pesky things! 
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    Create habitat for the ultimate slug slayer, then the slug problem goes away.  ;)


  • Jude100Jude100 Posts: 4
    Now that definitely looks like will do the trick :) 
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    I really want some of them! I have sand lizards and various types of ground beetle an occasional toad.. but no slow worms! But back to the question, yes lettuce will be fine after a good wash.
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