Every year I lose a significant number of plants to slugs. I put out slug killer - although I know that I shouldn't - and kill a few slugs every night but many get through anyway. This year my slug killer has not killed a single slug, I have not seen any slugs in my garden, and not one of my plants shows any sign of slug damages. Have I somehow succeeded in chasing them into my neighbour's yard? Are they massing for an attack? Or is anyone else in my area - near UBC - experiencing this non-problem?
At least half have moved down here to Anacortes :-( Little buggers are everywhere! If you like/eat grapefruit, put the rind -bowls out in your garden upside down like an igloo. Slugs love to hide in them. Then just collect and destroy. Also, you can use Sluggo safely. Check this link - www.biconet.com/crawlers/sluggo.html It works and is safe per Wash. State University - Master Gardeners.
I have tried many put-the-following-thing-out-and-they-will-collect-in-it-to-await-destruction ideas, never with success. They certainly ignore pans of beer! I hear that geese are good but they present other problems ...
Yes, geese do work! I can remember as a kid having to keep their water pans full so they could soak their beaks when they get stuck shut with slug glue. And yes one does have to learn "country dancing" to avoid their piles. I just never could convince them or the ducks to "go" in just one area.
"Where have all the molluscs gone? Long time passing..." could be a song. I must admit we haven't had many this year in my Langley garden. However I have been watching snails the last couple of years (my kind of activity - get a cup of coffee & sit around for a while!) and I conclude that in my garden, they do not actually eat many plants. I suspect they will eat tender young veggies, but what they do on most plants is eat the algae & dead material off the surfaces of stems & leaves. So, I have given up worrying about them. Some slugs, particularly the black ones, eat leaves voraciously & I go after them alone. Just some random thoughts on things molluscular.
We have allotments at BARAGA in South Burnaby and have seen virtually no slugs or snails this year. Usually at this time they are a real pest. Is it possible a disease has moved through them?
Last time we had ducks here these ignored the slugs and ate the hostas, a perfect accomplishment of the exact opposite of what was desired.
I think they swam south across the river and moved to my community garden. I lost many plants (as did my plot neighbours) to slugs! It was so bad that many of us broke down and got iron phosphate. Here's hoping for some drier weather!
I also have NO slugs this year. I'm not sure if its something I did. In the same area I sprinkled Mole scoot last year. Is this bad for animals in general? I hope not...although I'm glad there are no slugs.
The prolonged cold weather may have killed some of the little so-and-so's off. We haven't seen too many in my East Van plot either. Of course the ones we got congregated around my delphiniums. Argh.
I've noticed that a few plants that usually get pruned heavily by slugs (e.g., trilliums) are looking fine this year, so perhaps the winter did have an effect.
My garden in Burnaby has plenty of slugs this year. The only effect that I see from the cold winter is that most of the slugs are still small; they will become big ones somewhat later than usual.
Has anyone tried repelling slugs by sprinkling hot chili pepper (packaged spice--whole seeds or ground) around the plants?
