The best thing I've used is Corry's Slug & Snail Death. My sister left me an opened box when she moved to Bermuda. When I circled the emerging dahlia with it, they actually grew instead of being chewed to nubs. Unfortunately I ran out and can't find any in the stores (yet).
I've tried other slug baits and they don't seem to do much and leave a mess in your garden. I even tried sprinkling slugs with salt. That works but assumes you can find every slug in your garden! My husband's solution is to pick them off using a little twig. It solves the immediate problem but is just plain, well, yucky.
Here are 3 different solutions that I've read about and plan to try:
- ashes
- crushed egg shells
- diluted ammonia (1 part ammonia with 7 parts water)
Cory's Slug & Snail Death is not organic which is why you may not be finding it in Nova Scotia. I have noticed that you are way ahead of the other provinces in banning that kind of thing for home and garden use.
ReplyDeleteYou know, Linda, my first inclination was to tell you that you should stick to organic solutions as in... are you sure you can't convince Kelly to empty dead slug filled beer tins on his way to work every morning?... lol... but having been in your garden, I honestly don't know what I would do to contend with all the bugs. Bugs are, in your garden, like weeds in mine. I have been able to deal with the weeds organically but I have definitely had to develop a higher tolerance for them than I ever had in my city garden. I think developing a tolerance for weeds is probably much easier than developing a higher tolerance for bugs though.
So all I can say is - I hope the egg shells work but dig them in. My aunt tried them on the surface of the mulch and it didn't work. I think the slugs went under them.
I was researching gladiolus thrips and found this on slugs. I think you should see if you can buy nemotodes at the greenhouse or online. I might just try that myself with my newly developing slug problem. I found a bunch when I was packing your daylily this afternoon! Cool and wet here today.
ReplyDeleteBiological Treatment - You can buy nematodes (microscopic creatures) which agressively search out and attack slugs. They enter the slugs boy through a hole hehind their heads. Once inside they release a bacteria which stops the slug eating. The nematodes then start to reproduce inside and within 7-10 days the slug is dead. The nematodes continue to reproduce as the body breaks down. This new population enters the soil and searches out new slugs to attack. This is a natural, non-toxic product that is safe for both users and wildlife. The nematodes stay active for 6 weeks so a single dose protects plants when they are emerging in the spring and are most vulnerable. Nematodes can only be used in spring and summer when the soil is warm.