Slug Pellets

[Hopkirk]

Are they cruel?

[ummmm]

Lots have been recently banned so I assume so. Maybe it's more to do with the hedgehogs.

[Hopkirk]

I have a couple of pots of sweet peas, but they were under attack. I put down a few old slug pellets.

Now there are huge slugs leaving slimy trails and I feel terribly guilty that they may be suffering.

[ladybirder]

Birds may well eat them.

[Hopkirk]

I won't use them any more, but don't know how to dispose of the old ones.

[ladybirder]

Be careful Hopkirk or you could be in trouble. Best read this which tells you what to do with them.

http://www.pollutionissues.co.uk/disposal-pesticides.html

[Hopkirk]

Oo er. I bet if I take them to the recycling centre they'll put them in general waste. I'll put them back in the shed and ignore them.

[Old_Geezer]

Not if you get them right between the eyes.

[Hymie]

Your concern for animal cruelty reminds me of a story from many years ago.

A vet was offering the service of castrating camels for 100 Dinar; a local owner accepted this offer to castrate five of his camels. The owner observed the vet carrying out the castration procedure which consisted of the vet banging two large bricks together with the camel’s testicles between the bricks.

Concerned at the potential pain – the owner asked if castrating the camels hurt at all, to which the vet replied ‘Only if a catch my fingers between the bricks’.

[roopower]

Beer traps are quite a good idea. Fill an old coffee cup or the like with cheap beer and sink it up to it's neck in the soil. Slugs can't resist and they die happy. If you know anyone who keeps poultry, the chickens love them.

[Hopkirk]

Terrible waste of beer

[diddlydo]

Sorry, cruel or not, I'm damned if I'm going to let the slugs eat my carefully nurtured salads.

[gness]

Diddly.....you really ought to research what happens when rain falls on slug pellets scattered around plants to be eaten.

[Chipchopper]

I worry about what might come along and eat a poisoned slug, so don't use the poisonous pellets.
I found that spent coffee grounds are a good deterant.

[johnk]

They're cruel on anything that eats the poisoned slug and is then poisoned themselves

[diddlydo]

Gness - I don't put the pellets on the plants obviously!

[gness]

I did say scattered around, Diddly....of course you don’t put the pellets directly onto plant.
Heavy rain will cause the pellets to leach into the soil that is feeding your growing plants.

[alavahalf]

Put your slug pellets in a jam jar and lay it on its side, on the ground. This will keep the pellets dry and they will be more effective for longer.

[Old_Geezer]

Looking on the Net and finding lots of opinion but no clear info, there seems that there are pellets, and there are pellets. This Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation I found on Amazon claims that the slugs go underground to die, are pet/animal friendly (except slugs I guess) and break down safely in the soil. I guess the trick is to read the box.