Remember that many garden creatures reproduce according to the availability of food. If you put them in your compost heap, they and their babies will soon be making merry all over your garden. If you dump them in a field, or the local car park, they and any young they will produce may well starve to death. There are only lots in our gardens because we grow so many things they like to eat. There are no easy answers to these problems and there is no such thing as wildlife gardening - gardens are not wild.
Im normally content to let them be, unless I catch them near my Lupins or Tagetes, in which case they they get pitched up into the beech tree at the end of the garden to take their chances.
I must be very lucky in that I almost never see a slug and only occasionally a snail. I have a pond with a good frog population and I suspect these and the mice who live in the nooks and crannies of my dry stone wall, keep the slugs under control. As for the snails, I regularly see thrushes bashing them on stones to break their shells and eat them. I have never used anything to control the slugs and snails. However, I have lost a lot of shoots to the mice but they're worth it. They are a delight to watch and they do a good job with the slugs.
Whilst they may be there, Nanny Beach, they don't cause me any problems (touch wood). The only pests that cause me problems are other peoples cats, but, that's another story. As regards slugs, snails and other critters, my philosophy is live and let live. Having a balanced variety of naturally occurring creatures seems to be the best and easiest way of managing.
Sounds like a good deal Pansyface! The slugs and snails have a very des-res, so they leave your plants alone, the birds have a nice 'bistro' to visit and the slugs and snails help with the composting process. Everyone's a winner!
I do the same as pansyface but use the plastic compost bin leased from the council. The birds don't seem to want to know these days though, a distinct lack of thrushes where I live. However since I started using beer traps these last few years there isn't as many hanging around anymore. Most of them seem to congregate inside the Phormiums!
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Remember that many garden creatures reproduce according to the availability of food. If you put them in your compost heap, they and their babies will soon be making merry all over your garden. If you dump them in a field, or the local car park, they and any young they will produce may well starve to death. There are only lots in our gardens because we grow so many things they like to eat. There are no easy answers to these problems and there is no such thing as wildlife gardening - gardens are not wild.
Im normally content to let them be, unless I catch them near my Lupins or Tagetes, in which case they they get pitched up into the beech tree at the end of the garden to take their chances.
Jimmy Crawford I have seen them wearing parachutes, you know!
I must be very lucky in that I almost never see a slug and only occasionally a snail. I have a pond with a good frog population and I suspect these and the mice who live in the nooks and crannies of my dry stone wall, keep the slugs under control. As for the snails, I regularly see thrushes bashing them on stones to break their shells and eat them. I have never used anything to control the slugs and snails. However, I have lost a lot of shoots to the mice but they're worth it. They are a delight to watch and they do a good job with the slugs.
Lettice shaped hand grenades
Potteringabout, they are there, you just cannot see them, according to GW Magazine, you only see a very few, the rest are under the soil!
Whilst they may be there, Nanny Beach, they don't cause me any problems (touch wood). The only pests that cause me problems are other peoples cats, but, that's another story. As regards slugs, snails and other critters, my philosophy is live and let live. Having a balanced variety of naturally occurring creatures seems to be the best and easiest way of managing.
Sounds like a good deal Pansyface! The slugs and snails have a very des-res, so they leave your plants alone, the birds have a nice 'bistro' to visit and the slugs and snails help with the composting process. Everyone's a winner!
I do the same as pansyface but use the plastic compost bin leased from the council. The birds don't seem to want to know these days though, a distinct lack of thrushes where I live. However since I started using beer traps these last few years there isn't as many hanging around anymore. Most of them seem to congregate inside the Phormiums!