Well, after all the hard work put in over the last few weeks to nurture seedlings and plants, you plant them out and overnight, dreams of bountiful harvests can be destroyed by slugs moving in to devour them.
The traditional slug pellets have been withdrawn now because of the toxic effect on other wildlife including some of our favourite garden visitors. Hedgehogs, song thrushes & blackbirds, and beetles are some of the main predators that eat slugs and it is very good news for them that the chemicals have been withdrawn. However they were quick and convenient ways of dealing with slugs - so now the defence against the slimy ones requires a little bit more strategy and planning.
Keeping the ground clear of weeds is a big factor. This deprives the slugs of cover, moisture and breeding grounds. It will allow the predators to find the slugs more easily and make it (slightly) more difficult for them to travel around your cabbage patch. Removing objects that slugs can hide under such as bits of wood, stones, black plastic etc can also help.
There are all sorts of ideas about deterring slugs from getting to the plants as well. Copper strips, barriers made up of prickly or sharp material or material that tends to dry the slugs out.
Biological control involves releasing nematodes which attack and devour the slugs.
Slug Pubs are effective at luring slugs,where they then get drunk and drown in beer. If alot of dead slugs build up they can get really horribly stinky so emptying out regularly is recommended!
Would you like to try out some different ways of controlling slugs?
I would certainly recommend starting with some slug pubs. My findings thus far have indicated that the type of beer used does make a difference. Lager does not seem to be much use in attracting slugs at all. A nice ale is much better, but obviously a bit more expensive. What is the cheapest but most effective recipe to deal with the slug foe?
To get started: You can buy little slug pubs that come with a little roof, but a plastic dish such as an ice cream tub will work fine. It has to be deep enough to keep the slugs from escaping before they drown, probably about three or four inches is fine. The roof is mainly to stop rain from diluting the alcohol, so bear this in mind if the weather turns wet. This is also the time when the slugs will multiply and come out to play in your veggie patch.
Spacing of the slug pubs is also important, set them about four or five feet apart, and put them in the middle of particularly vulnerable crops such as cabbages, lettuces and strawberries.
Currently, The Virtual Veggie Patch beer of choice is Hobgoblin from Lidls - but is it the best? Cider or red wine might also work. If you are breaking open a bottle or can, remember you don't have to give it all to the slugs!
Please let us know if you swear by any of the above methods, or if you have found them to be completely useless and good luck in the war against the slug.