When its wet I get many worm/leech type critters climbing the rendered white walls of my house.... anyone else experienced this - and are they a pest to be concerned about?
You need to be worried about your plants. Hostas, delphiniums, seedlings etc are all delicacies enjoyed by slugs. I use kitchen tongs to pick them up and deposit them in a container of salty water, slug pellets scattered around will reduce numbers but may affect wildlife, beer traps (little containers of beer sunk into the ground) seem a kind way to kill them, grit, eggshells, wool piled up around tasty plants, copper tape around pots and nighttime safaris with a kebab skewer all help keep down the numbers. There is a biological method but I have never tried it due to cost. No doubt other members will be able to help you there.
I used the nematodes (for slugs, it doesn't do snails) at my last house/garden which was damp and clay, so overrun with them.
It did make a difference cutting down the numbers, but for me only after a couple of years at least of use, I think because it attacks the next/young generation of slugs in the soil. Also by that point a couple of hedgehogs had arrived so that prob. helped too.
I still had to go out in the evenings with a torch to pick off the adults though, much to the amusement of my hubbie.
just had to water a newly planted ceanothus - realised I had an interloper when spray stopped - I removed an enormous snail from the spray head which extended it's horrible squishy foot as I pulled it out - and I did not stop to study it as I tossed it over the fence!
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Almost certainly slugs. I've seen their trails going past the upstairs windows.
They happily climb our walls here - which are rendered and covered in crushed shell.
Which,of course, is one of the recommended deterrents to put round plants!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Slugs sometimes move across our large sitting room window - a great opportunity to watch the way their muscular foot moves - fascinating.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Dove - I'm having my breakfast...
They do that here on a little side window - about eight feet up
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
You need to be worried about your plants. Hostas, delphiniums, seedlings etc are all delicacies enjoyed by slugs. I use kitchen tongs to pick them up and deposit them in a container of salty water, slug pellets scattered around will reduce numbers but may affect wildlife, beer traps (little containers of beer sunk into the ground) seem a kind way to kill them, grit, eggshells, wool piled up around tasty plants, copper tape around pots and nighttime safaris with a kebab skewer all help keep down the numbers. There is a biological method but I have never tried it due to cost. No doubt other members will be able to help you there.
Hi Esspee, all.
I used the nematodes (for slugs, it doesn't do snails) at my last house/garden which was damp and clay, so overrun with them.
It did make a difference cutting down the numbers, but for me only after a couple of years at least of use, I think because it attacks the next/young generation of slugs in the soil. Also by that point a couple of hedgehogs had arrived so that prob. helped too.
I still had to go out in the evenings with a torch to pick off the adults though, much to the amusement of my hubbie.
just had to water a newly planted ceanothus - realised I had an interloper when spray stopped - I removed an enormous snail from the spray head which extended it's horrible squishy foot as I pulled it out - and I did not stop to study it as I tossed it over the fence!
"over the fence" is a patch of wild scree frequented by ducks and I like them!
and the ducks will like the slugs and snails, sounds like a winner all round to me!