Knottie gardeners

glasgowtolondon

I've been trying to make something out of the tiny garden I have but bloody snails and slugs are ruining all my hard work (those bastards!). I've been reading up on different ideas to combat the little MF-ers but I know some of you guys are great with the gardening tips. Do you guys have the same issue? Does the eggshell thing actually work, or does it need to be chemical?

bleve0821

I've never had an issue with snails, but I sprinkle salt on the slugs and around the edges of the garden to keep them out.

glasgowtolondon

It's been so rainy here for the past 2months, like every single day, so there have been more than usual of the little buggers. I came home on monday to find that they'd actually completely stripped one of my plants. Time for action. I'm going to try the salt, though I am a bit worried it might be completely disgusting.

thisismynickname2

I just heard the other day that if you put out a saucer of beer, it'll attract the slugs and they'll get drunk and drown.

No joke. 

geebee908

Seconding the beer trap here. It works pretty well.

glasgowtolondon

Okay, I just googled this and it seems you guys are on to something here. Hey, if it works I'll have a whole pub out in my garden.

TrixieJess

My girlfriend is in England and she says the slugs have been brutal this year. They had to buy the pellets after trying all the other means, dishsoap sprays, beer, salt water. Check your local gardening store, depending on where you are, there are probably lots of methods to get rid of them that they can help you with. 

madamerwin

thisismynickname said:

I just heard the other day that if you put out a saucer of beer, it'll attract the slugs and they'll get drunk and drown.

No joke. 

I've tried the beer trap - it didn't work for me Especially if it's rainy, I would imagine that water would collect in it.

But finely-crushed eggshells around the base of each plant (or around where the leaves touch the soil) has definitely worked! I would try both methods; it wouldn't hurt!

bleve0821

Salt is cheaper than beer and I like drinking it too much to waste on slugs, so salt is my vote.

glasgowtolondon

I read an article that suggested placing a large rock over the top of the beer - so that it is mainly covered incase of rain, but also has gaps to allow the slugs to drink deep. I had been reading about little to no success on the eggshell front so wondered if that was actually an old wives tale. Salt, beer, and eggs. Who knew these were the slug kryptonite.

madamerwin

TrixieJess said:

My girlfriend is in England and she says the slugs have been brutal this year. They had to buy the pellets after trying all the other means, dishsoap sprays, beer, salt water. Check your local gardening store, depending on where you are, there are probably lots of methods to get rid of them that they can help you with. 

The pellets definitely work, but do not use them if you have pets!!! Our friends' dogs (two of them) both ingested a couple of pellets each (literally a couple - there were not that many out) that were around the base of a tomato plant on one of their parents' properties, and they had to be rushed to the vet to have their stomachs pumped. One of them almost didn't make it.

drunkenwitch

A plastic cup of beer buried in the ground always kills the slugs in my garden.  Also diatomaceous earth in the garden kills them, and lots of other bugs. 

lovesclimbing

I've heard that Sluggo slug and snail bait works great. It attracts slugs, so you'd put it in little traps at the edges of the garden rather than sprinkle it around. I've also heard of sprinkling Epsom salts around and spraying them with ammonia water. 

labro

lovesclimbing said:

I've heard that Sluggo slug and snail bait works great. It attracts slugs, so you'd put it in little traps at the edges of the garden rather than sprinkle it around. I've also heard of sprinkling Epsom salts around and spraying them with ammonia water. 

According to my neighbor who runs a successful landscaping business, Epsom salts are also WONDERFUL for your soil and plants. They love it! I know the OP said it's been raining a lot...but it wouldn't hurt anything at all to still sprinkle some of that stuff around your plants.

LadyCatherineDB

Another vote for beer [but I've never lived in a rainy location, so I don't know how rain affects it].

MairePoppy

Pour some beer in a saucer and drink the rest of the bottle. Could be a fun night, depending on how many saucers of beer you need.