Hi, I was not available for a cuple of days so I reread... What is the scientific name of the Firefly? ----- Original Message ----- From: C.J. Teevan To: Pacific Bulb Society Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 7:33 AM Subject: Re: [pbs] snails & slugs I can tell you all about Snails and Slugs. Diatomaceous Earth is a pain in the neck but it's very effective. You have to re-apply every time it rains, or if you get the stuff wet. But it works. Coffee Grounds, which are now available from Starbucks for Free at some locations, to my surprise also works. I applied all over my garden last summer -- any time something's free, I tend to go a little nuts, but I had ready they attract earthworms while also amending the soil. Then I found that the slugs would attack any Oriental Lilies right up the stem that were not surrounded with these used Coffee Grounds but if I put down Coffee Grounds the next day, no problem. I have not tried the Instant Coffee Method. But you have to buy that. These Coffee Grounds are F R E E FREE! The copper collar also works but you have to keep it clean. At least it's reusable. Apparently the goo on the slug reacts with the copper and they get an electric shock. But my most favorite solution of all time (which I do not have any control over yet): Fireflies. I have just learned quite by accident that Firefly Larvae LOVE to eat Slugs. I had intended to buy some of these because I don't really know if I'll have that many next summer. Clearly, I don't, or I would not have this problem. It is however important to know what the Firefly Beetles look like and the larvae as well. That way you don't kill the ones you do have. The beer can solution has never worked for me. I personally dislike the taste of beer, but I went out and purchased a six pack of Budweiser for this very purposes. I have several thousand slugs up and down my driveway crawling all over the Hostas there. I am not kidding -- several thousand. I know because I started hand picking them, out of desperation, and I would count them. I was totally determined to win this slugfest. When I spent a week pulling 500 a night off the leaves, and there was no end in sight, I decided I would have to find a better way. Meantime, I learned that Slugs actually do have their place in the garden. I let them have the Hostas in the driveway and they can crawl all over the grass. They are extremely effective at digesting certain kinds of organic matter and a few other things that make them worth having around. I just don't want them crawling all over the flowers. Garter snakes and certain frogs also enjoy eating them. Of course this is much more difficult and I don't know if even they could keep up with my thousands of Slugs population. I have also heard that chickens work. Oh... there is another Slug predator, a Snail called a Decollete (sp?) snail. It devours Slugs with a smile. Unfortunately, they will also eat the rest of the garden, so don't even bother with those, because once they've moved in, you're in real trouble. Finally... something I really know! Agoston Janos <agoston.janos@citromail.hu> wrote: Hi All again! I'm now fighting with snails and slugs. Here if I let bulbs in the clay slugs go down to the bulb as leaves turn yellow and snack on them in the whole summer killing a lots of valuable bulbs for me. There are some desiccant mollusticides here, but as a rain comes slugs are rehydrating and slipping towards to eat someting new. Does anybody have some really good method to get rid of them, please? Bye, Jani Z5a _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php --------------------------------- Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q&A. _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php