I have found that going out around 9 at night with a plastic bag and flashlight is a great way to find and remove both slugs and snails, particularly if it is damp and a little foggy. You can pick them up. They are not poisonous, they won't bite back. Slugs are just a little bit slimy, and then only on the bottom. Just pick them up (bare fingers work just great!), put them in the plastic bag, and when you are done, tie a not and throw it in the trash. If you do this regularly for a week or two, no poisons, no no chemicals, no grapefruit, hardly any slugs or snails. The slime washes off easily with any soap. The second night is easier than the first. It is a real organic solution. Tom ----- Original Message ---- From: C.J. Teevan <gardenstreet184@yahoo.com> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 11:32:58 PM Subject: Re: [pbs] snails & slugs That's great to know. I'll have to find out where I read this and check back w/ you. Tim Harvey <zigur@hotmail.com> wrote: I have to disagree with your conclusions regarding decollate snails. When I still had 'standard' Californian plantings of Agapanthus and other mesic, leafy plants, the decollates really tore into the regular snail population. As I progressively xeriscaped my garden, the decollates died out. They were never a problem to the garden plants. Tim in SoCal >From: "C.J. Teevan" >Reply-To: Pacific Bulb Society >To: Pacific Bulb Society >Subject: Re: [pbs] snails & slugs >Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 23:33:43 -0700 (PDT) > >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 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 _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php --------------------------------- Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check. 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