Banana slugs

Denis Kearns via pbs pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net
Wed, 23 Aug 2023 07:50:37 PDT
Am enjoying all the slug talk! A good friend did his PhD on banana slugs
(Ariolimax columbianus!) and concluded, among other things, that they were
the major herbivores in the coastal forests, much more important than deer
and elk.  They eat a lot of living plant material and mushrooms, but are
selective in what they eat.  A major predator of banana slugs is a large
carabid beetle.  A fun bit of research and a nice organism, even if it is a
problem in our gardens.

If you have cats, I encourage you to either keep them inside or build them
a “catio”.  Cats, both feral and domestic, are responsible for killing way
too many birds and small reptiles.  And those of us who garden would rather
not deal with cat feces!  The neighborhood cats kill flickers that visit my
park-like yard during the fall migration.  Flickers like to forage on the
ground, making them easy prey for cats.  It’s very discouraging to find
piles of feathers in my yard, especially since I do everything I can to
make good habitat for birds.
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