dthk@mhuxd.UUCP (06/09/83)
The slugs are bad in N.J. this year too, probably because of all the rain. After the same experience as rocksvax!reno (I lost a whole crop of zinnia seedlings in one night), I tried the poison pellets (Ortho Bug-Geta) too. Result: the slugs just detoured around them and went on their merry way. The best attack seems to be a trip to the garden at night with a flashlight and a salt shaker. Two or three grains of salt on a slug will rapidly demolish it. If you are careful to pick them off first and not use too much salt, you will probably not poison the soil and/or plants. There is also a spray but it's pretty powerful stuff and NOT for use on food crops. I tried it in a limited way on marigolds and zinnias (well removed from my vegetable garden) and it seems to work reasonably well. My nightly "slug haul" has gone from 20-30 to 3-4/night. Don Hawkins BTL-MH
jchale@mhuxt.UUCP (06/09/83)
I use the ever popular slug motels filled with beer and covered with
a piece of slate for limited protection. I also am trying out wood ashes,
but it is too early to tell if that helps. The real killer of slugs is to
go out each night with a flashlight and catch them in the act. I put each
one in a can and salt them all at once when I'm done. It may seem like a
lot of effort, but I get a great deal of satisfaction out of it after
seeing them defoliate half my garden. After all, vengence is mine.
Jeff Hale
BTL - MHwef@mcnc.UUCP (06/10/83)
I agree that the best method for dealing with slugs is nightly slug hunts with a flashlight. It doesn't take too long to thin them out. Instead of salt though, use lime. It works equally well, and is probably good for your garden. (A lime barrier would probably work, but I've never tried it.) Bill Fuller
barbaral@tekid.UUCP (06/13/83)
A while back, I saw an article, I think on the net, about spraying slugs with an ammonia water mixture. The ammonia doesn't harm the plants, and infact adds nitrogen. But...what proportions does one use? I tried a vinegar water (50% 50%) mixture. It seems to kill the slugs, but not very fast. We went on our first slug hunt last nite, and found 6. I found 1 this morning. My boyfriend and I are having a contest to see who can spot the most. Whoever spots the most wins a surprise from the other person at the end of the season.