BOB FLOWERDEW
Night-time is the right time to eliminate slugs, says Bob
BY now, slugs and snails will have been breeding and multiplying for months and their numbers can reach epidemic proportions. How can you stop them doing even more damage to your plants without resorting to slug pellets?
One of the most effective methods is handpicking. You’ll know which plants are being attacked – after all, you can see the holes! Go out at night with a torch and a container to put the pests in. A warm, damp night just after dark is the best time. Having collected as many as you can, take a break and try again an hour or so later; by then, more will have appeared. Disposal is up to you, but don’t throw them over the fence, as they’ll quickly return. My hens do not much appreciate them, so I take them to a friend as his ducks enjoy the feast.
The next line of defence is to stop them getting to their favourite plants by using barriers. Some people use crushed, baked eggshells, holly leaves (a bit unfriendly to our fingers), shredded wool or dags, soot, lime or coffee grounds. Personally, I find cocoa shell most effective. You can get copper tapes and rings, but they are not as effective as claimed – what these need is a strip of perforated zinc stuck on to make a battery. That way, when a slug or snail tries to cross the two, it gets a shock.
Alternatively, stand plants in pots with double saucers, adding a moat of salty water between the two; this also helps deter ants and vine weevils.
“I find cocoa shell the most effective defence”
Finally, you can also buy naturally occurring nematodes and water these on where the pests are most common. They will then get sick and die unnoticed without you having to expend any more effort. Brilliant!