I also meant to add that birds don't feed at night, and slugs don't come out in the daytime so spreading bird food and suet treats may attract mice and rats into your garden so please be aware of that.????
My personal experience if you have a major slug infestation is: get ducks. Then, "because of the natural cussedness of things" you'll get a major drought and all the slugs will disappear. That only leaves with the duck-feed bill, but they are adorable, so it's ok.
the natural predator for the plant/seedling eating slugs are the big leopard slugs that do not eat live plants, they eat the slugs( that do eat your plants) and they eat dead plants, these ones below are the gardeners friends believe it or not
Leopard slugs... In wet weather, when they wake up they also go for cat food, dog food, and inncent people camping out... found one of those (big ones) on my ear in two different occasions... not a squeamish girl, but boy did I scream.
Wow - thanks for all these replies folks. Makes me feel a bit better that I haven't got a unique, unbalanced garden! I caught another 15 last night, but might get the kids on the job tonight
I picked some suet balls up last night (I crumbled them up) - but the birds have jumped on them this morning...when the slugs are hiding! I've also spayed some (self made garlic water around some of the plants in the interim). I fear it might be best to 'perish' them on the spot, rather than the slow death (but drunk first might be some way to go ).
Definitely aiming for a balanced garden eventually and the more wildlife the better. We have sparrows (actually raised in the eaves of our roof I hadn't yet got round to fixing) and have added bird feeders for them (which in turn, last year at least, ate all our cherries!). We've had a visit from a local cat (the kids love it...I hate cats!!) and 'plays' with their guinea pigs, so I guess that isn't helping with the bird visits (although their gran has a few cats and a host of birds in their garden).
Hostas look good - I was after a bit of ground cover for certain areas of my garden so I might take a look at them.
I do like the sound of those leopard slugs...where do you get them!
As for snails, I've found very little of those (just one as opposed to nigh on 50 slugs). I'd consider capturing them in buckets, 'detoxing' them than smoking in the BBQ with garlic butter (had them in Barcelona a few years ago - pretty good!).
I didn't realise slugs go for 'flowering' type plants (I could understand lettuce etc). Those Bella De Notte were well advanced before the slugs got them (I've a few more in pots I'll bring in at night until I've sorted the slug problem out). Pumpkins was the big shame as it something we look forward to every year. I actually found a slug 4 foot up our sunflowers yesterday. God knows how they keep growing as they've been obliterated!!
I get a lot of snails in my front garden which I collect and dispose of, but hardly any slugs. We have quite a few toads in our back garden, they seen to like the fact that I have a hose that seeps water on the sunny side of the garden and they keep the slug population at bay. The only plants that seem to have suffered any damage this year are a couple of lupins. Hostas have been pretty much left alone.
Posts
Hostafan1
I also meant to add that birds don't feed at night, and slugs don't come out in the daytime so spreading bird food and suet treats may attract mice and rats into your garden so please be aware of that.????
My personal experience if you have a major slug infestation is: get ducks. Then, "because of the natural cussedness of things" you'll get a major drought and all the slugs will disappear. That only leaves with the duck-feed bill, but they are adorable, so it's ok.
the natural predator for the plant/seedling eating slugs are the big leopard slugs that do not eat live plants, they eat the slugs( that do eat your plants) and they eat dead plants, these ones below are the gardeners friends believe it or not
Leopard slugs... In wet weather, when they wake up they also go for cat food, dog food, and inncent people camping out... found one of those (big ones) on my ear in two different occasions... not a squeamish girl, but boy did I scream.
Wow - thanks for all these replies folks. Makes me feel a bit better that I haven't got a unique, unbalanced garden! I caught another 15 last night, but might get the kids on the job tonight
I picked some suet balls up last night (I crumbled them up) - but the birds have jumped on them this morning...when the slugs are hiding! I've also spayed some (self made garlic water around some of the plants in the interim). I fear it might be best to 'perish' them on the spot, rather than the slow death (but drunk first might be some way to go
).
Definitely aiming for a balanced garden eventually and the more wildlife the better. We have sparrows (actually raised in the eaves of our roof I hadn't yet got round to fixing) and have added bird feeders for them (which in turn, last year at least, ate all our cherries!). We've had a visit from a local cat (the kids love it...I hate cats!!) and 'plays' with their guinea pigs, so I guess that isn't helping with the bird visits (although their gran has a few cats and a host of birds in their garden).
Hostas look good - I was after a bit of ground cover for certain areas of my garden so I might take a look at them.
I do like the sound of those leopard slugs...where do you get them!
As for snails, I've found very little of those (just one as opposed to nigh on 50 slugs). I'd consider capturing them in buckets, 'detoxing' them than smoking in the BBQ with garlic butter (had them in Barcelona a few years ago - pretty good!).
I didn't realise slugs go for 'flowering' type plants (I could understand lettuce etc). Those Bella De Notte were well advanced before the slugs got them (I've a few more in pots I'll bring in at night until I've sorted the slug problem out). Pumpkins was the big shame as it something we look forward to every year. I actually found a slug 4 foot up our sunflowers yesterday. God knows how they keep growing as they've been obliterated!!
Many thanks folks - a whole host of tips there
*googles leopard slugs*
i have loads of them in my garden, they are just there, i'm in the south east. I'm sure they are located nationwide, where are you somapop?
I have ( had actually ) lots of slugs and snails in my garden, (West Sussex coast) but I have never seen one of these leopard slugs!
Despite they are slugs I think they look beautiful........
I put used coffee ground around the most vulnerable plants, which I get for freefrom my local Waitrose, it works fine and is a fertilizer as well.
They're taking the p*** here now.....
That window is ten feet off the ground up a very rough wall - roughcast in broken shell.
What chance have I got?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
hahah FG i thougt it was a silloette (sic)of a flying bird until i looked and looked and then finally saw it was a snail.
I get a lot of snails in my front garden which I collect and dispose of, but hardly any slugs. We have quite a few toads in our back garden, they seen to like the fact that I have a hose that seeps water on the sunny side of the garden and they keep the slug population at bay. The only plants that seem to have suffered any damage this year are a couple of lupins. Hostas have been pretty much left alone.