Slugs.
I know my fellow gardeners will by-and-large share my feelings - I hate them. Hate is a strong word and I generally avoid it. Life is what we perceive it to be and so I don't make room for hate. Generally.
Slugs are a rare exception.
Aside from how much they damage my plants, they are gross. Unfair I know; we shouldn't love beautiful things like butterflies and kill the ugly like earwigs. Life is more complex than that, but we all have a tendency to do it. By the way, I don't seem to have any ugly earwigs in my garden, but I actually wish I did since they reportedly eat slug eggs.
And if that weren't enough they can also pass on deadly lungworm to pets (or silly people) who might eat them.
Here is a pretty good summary of how you can tackle your slug problem. I personally take a glass of a soft drink with me and hand pick them. Ugh, so slimy. Drop them into a glass of water and some will climb right back out, drop them into say a ginger ale for example, and they stay put.
Yesterday and today and I spent an hour each morning hand picking slugs form my back garden (about as long as my knees can take!) and got rid of hundreds. One of the effects of such a shady garden. There were many on top of the leaves of the Hostas - so easy to see and grab, but hey, nobody said slugs were smart. Ever.
Unfortunately I read that only 5% of a slug population is above ground at any given time, but at least it is a good start. They were so small at this time of year, but that can change quickly, after all how many other pests will triple or quadruple in size over the summer if left alone? Thanks goodness Japanese lily beetles don't do that!
And if that weren't enough they can also pass on deadly lungworm to pets (or silly people) who might eat them.
Here is a pretty good summary of how you can tackle your slug problem. I personally take a glass of a soft drink with me and hand pick them. Ugh, so slimy. Drop them into a glass of water and some will climb right back out, drop them into say a ginger ale for example, and they stay put.
Yesterday and today and I spent an hour each morning hand picking slugs form my back garden (about as long as my knees can take!) and got rid of hundreds. One of the effects of such a shady garden. There were many on top of the leaves of the Hostas - so easy to see and grab, but hey, nobody said slugs were smart. Ever.
Unfortunately I read that only 5% of a slug population is above ground at any given time, but at least it is a good start. They were so small at this time of year, but that can change quickly, after all how many other pests will triple or quadruple in size over the summer if left alone? Thanks goodness Japanese lily beetles don't do that!
I'm with you... I've been hand picking the slimy buggers off of my Dahlias too! I like your drowning idea... Oh, did I say that out loud!!! Silly me, I have just been tossing them back onto the grass... No wonder they keep coming back...! Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteLOL, I imagine that they have kept slowly making their way back and more drastic action is required. It is pretty gross, but worth it.
Delete