Doing Battle With Slugs Can Be Messy

June 26th, 2009 at 06:06 pm

My potato plants have been hard hit by slugs, which love the wet weather we've had for nearly three week straight. I wish I'd begun picking them off earlier, but it didn't hit me it was slugs until I noticed they were also covering my newly planted marigolds.

Here's how many I pulled off each evening since starting "Slug Patrol" earlier this week.

Sunday: 50
Monday: 69
Tuesday: 146
Wed. 51
Thursday: 40
Friday: 64

Yep, I pick the slimy things off the plants with my hands and when I've collected as many as i can find, I've dumped them in the sewer. I figure they can't swim. Yeah, I know salt will kill them, but I don't care to watch them turn inside out. It's pretty gross, and of course it's impossible to try to step on one cus they just squish on the side of your shoe.

They definitely are attracted to the pine chip mulch I'm using to hill the potatoes. Elsewhere in the garden, I have less mulch, and I notice, many fewer slugs.

If it ever stops raining (it's forecast for the next 5 days, not all day, but scattered storms daily) I will spread diatomaceous earth and spray with my garlic and onion spray. No use wasting it if rain's forecast, though.

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

6 Responses to “Doing Battle With Slugs Can Be Messy”

BuckhornGal Says:
June 26th, 2009 at 07:09 pm

Yikes. Slugs love, love, love, mulch. A few ideas to get rid of them. Get rid of the mulch, or, put down 8 inch pieces of old garden hose and throw out the pieces each morning, or, set up a slug trap with beer or other attractants in submerged margarine tubs. Then throw them out. But get rid of the mulch first!
frugaltexan75 Says:
June 26th, 2009 at 09:22 pm

Ah, how sweet about Waldo sleeping in your spot. I'm glad he's recovered and learning the wonders of exploration.
dmontngrey Says:
June 27th, 2009 at 08:49 am

Whoa, that's a few slugs!!

Oh, I would LOVE the cats racing around at night myself! How cute! Can you tell my two cats can't stand each other? It really sounds like Waldo is making some great progress!
Ima saver Says:
June 27th, 2009 at 09:47 am

It sounds like Waldo is doing great. I am so glad he is feeling better.
lizajane Says:
June 27th, 2009 at 04:37 pm

I read something about putting eggshells around tomato plants, and I think it was to keep slugs away but don't take my word for it. You might research it a little first.

Glad Waldo is doing better and feeling more at home now.
baselle Says:
June 27th, 2009 at 07:42 pm

Good to hear that Waldo is on the mend and is interested enough in Luther to play with him.

When we had Augie and Merlyn, they used to play and fight at night also. They would do this in the bedroom on top of our bed. Unacceptable. So we would shut the door for a little peace, only that wasn't peace because they would fight louder, jiggle the door handle, etc. And we were so sleep addled that by the time we got there to punish, they were both innocent.

This worked for us:
Vacuum cleaner outside the bedroom door turned on, but cord out and plug next to socket.
Bedroom door shut, cord under the door.
Cats play loudly
You plug in the vacuum and unplug it randomly.

Our cats hated the vacuum sound and treated it like the wrath of God. It only took a couple of days of random vacuum cleaner being turned on to quiet them down.

Wild Blue Yonder

Savings are stored possibilities.

Doing Battle With Slugs Can Be Messy

6 Responses to “Doing Battle With Slugs Can Be Messy”

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