Slug Pubs
Thomas Wilkinson2
Posts: 90
Hi all,
I have recently decided that I am losing the battle against the slugs - they have chomped pretty much everything I have planted this year. I do hate killing things and have been just trying to move them so far, but that doesnt do much... So I decided to put a few beer traps down seeing as they wont harm other wildlife (is that true?). My question is how often do I need to change the beer? is any beer in particular better than others? Can I put the slugs who have "Drowned their sorrows" on the compost heap? and how many slug pubs should I use? how deep does the beer need to be and how big does the container need to be? I've put 4 down at the moment in various containers - a nutella jar, half a pepsi can, a yoghurt pot and a plant pot which doesnt have drainage holes. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
I'd also like to take the time to apologise to all slugs... I'm sorry - but you keep ruining my day!
Tom
Posts
Hi Tom, not sure about the beer traps as I have never had to use them. I have always encouraged the birds into my garden with feeders, lots of them, different foods for different birds, and have a few rocks near by, a rockery is great. The thrushes, blackbirds and others will soon come and not only go for the quick take away but will also spot the meat and two veg and get stuck in, they'll be thrashed senseless on the rocks and then snaffled by the birds. Mind you some times my garden reminds me of Alfred Hitchcocks film 'The Birds'. I haven't seen one aphid in my garden this year and only the shells of snails. The only slugs I've found were underneath a paving slab I moved. Guess they felt safe under there.
cheers early riser, I have thought of getting a couple of feeders or bird tables or the like to try and encourage some birds. That will be my next step I think. All the lawn is supposed to be getting dug over and re-seeded soon too which should clear some patches of long grass that they hide in, I'll leave some for wildlife though.. but this has made me avoid putting things like bird tables and I bought an arch to grow some climbers up which I havent been able to put up yet... hopefully it will get done soon and the proper gardening can begin!
Thomas, wildlife in the garden is essential, and yes birds will take some slugs - but don't feel bad about killing the little blighters! Beer traps are good - small yogurt pots are ideal sunk in the ground and keep the liquid level with the soil. Dont know about putting them in the compost, but leaving them in an odd corner would let the birds get them. I wouldn't imagine theres much alcohol in them to affect the birds.
Hi Tom...yep, encouraging birds is a good thing, hedgehogs too. A pond would attract frogs to get the pests missed during the day...if that doesn't work well enough use pellets.
You should leave the top of your slug trap sticking above ground level a bit to stop any ground beetles falling in and drowning. Slugs will still crawl up and over the rim
Hi Tom. I use slug pubs too. Regrettably, here in London it is mollusc heaven and there simply aren't enough things eating them. As Fleurisa says, make sure the rim of your slug pub is sticking out above ground. Doesn't really matter what containers - I use old yoghurts pots. They seem to like any old beer - I keep any dregs in a jar ready for use, but there aren't too many of those
so occasionally I use the cheapest lager I can buy. It seems to work better when it has gone flat. You will trap plenty of slugs and snails on the first night. The resulting "soup" can get pretty disgusting after a day or so and will attract flies so empty them frequently. I just dig a small hole in a border and bury the contents. Sometimes I "bury" them in my compost bin, if the surface is close enough to the top of the dalek bin, but don't leave them exposed or they will attract flies.
I use beer not lager, the cheapest going, and they do work. I have some that I bought cheapily with lids on with a gap under it so that critters climb in and the rain doesn't water the beer down. I change it when it gets soup like and disgusting as Ggangly says. The remains get tipped in the council re-cycling bin.
My birds water shallow dish is absolutely full of slugs by the morning, so not sure any beer in needed, I just tip them on the grass, they are gone by the morning. A complete meal in one go for a hedgepig.
There are some completely safe slug pellets on Amazon, with good reviews
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Neudorff-450g-Sluggo-Snail-Killer/dp/B007R467CM/ref=sr_1_3?s=outdoors&ie=UTF8&qid=1408632217&sr=1-3&keywords=pet+safe+slug+killer
Sorry my link doesnt work on the tablet
Errrgg. Don't like slugs at the best of times but having to deal with alcohol drenched swollen slimy bodies slithering out of a container and into my compost is enough for me to stick to the birds. Plus it's like throwing pearls to swine giving good alcohol to slugs, I'm sure it works but I have to draw the line somewhere. Can't even watch the birds eat them.
Early riser they don't slither out they bloat and explode into a mush
Sorry joking they just die happy 
Lyn I don't get anything in my water dishes unless they are scoffed before I get up