Breeding Slugs

[Jennykenny]

I've rounded up about 40 slugs from my small garden and put them in the compost bin. The idea is that they will work away converting the leaves and cuttings etc into nice healthy compost, but a friend says that most of the time they will be breeding and laying eggs.
Have I made a huge mistake?

[mikey4444]

On the face it...yes huge mistake. Please don't put this compost on your garden !

[julia-mag]

Not something that I would do, but maybe the heat generated will kill them off. My compost is full of hardworkings worms (smallish) I dont know where they come from, I do not put them there and as soon as I open the lid they dive down out of sight.

[naomi24]

Like julia-mag, I think it's worms that do that - not slugs.

[Baldric]

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=726

[waterboatman]

Never put slugs in your composter. They will not do your compost any good whatsoever, and will render it unsuitable for growing food plants.

[EDDIE51]

Compost rots down all by itself. You have just turned you compost bin into a nursery for breeding more slugs. You are going to have to get rid of the compost and clean the bin out to get rid of the slug eggs.

[Old_Geezer]

My bin was full of ants :-(
It wasn't my intent to provide them a base from which they could expand and take over the lawn.

[Jennykenny]

Thanks everyone.
What a nightmare.
I think I'll fish them out and take them out into the country and set them free??

[diddlydo]

Don't bother setting them free anywhere - retrieve from compost heap and snip them all in half.

[EcclesCake]

Are you serious Diddly?

[ummmm]

I hate slugs but snip them in half...what the eff!!

[jno]

probably more humane than slug pellets

[tamborine]

Sink beer can 10% full so slugs can crawl in for drinks & die of sclorisis

[Chipchopper]

Caffeine is toxic to slugs, so add coffee grounds around plants and mix in with your compost.
Hopefully this will combat a full scale slug invasion.

[diddlydo]

Yes I'm serious - whenever I see a slug I grab the scissors or secateurs and send them to a quick death.