Very Stressed .....

[Ann]

Just been outside and got almost hysterical with stress ...... there are literally millions of slugs and snails crawling up all the bedding plants in my pots, on the patio and in hanging baskets, they are devouring everything in sight even plants they don't usually eat - like mint and thick leaved begonias!!! One enormous snail had a whole leaf in it's mouth - it's like a science fiction film! Its beyond scary - like a biblical plague of locusts uggghhh!! What a waste of time and money. I darent use slug pellets as we have flocks of baby birds visiting the lawn and patio at the moment and they are being made to fend and feed for themselves ..... I would hate them to eat a poisoned slug. I have picked as many off by hand (ergghh awful!) counting them as I did so, got up to 178 and felt so sick I had to come indoors. What on earth can I do, other than concreting over my entire garden and having plastic flowers!

Add to all that the fact that Talktalk has a major fault AGAIN over the whole country (anyone else on AB affected?) I still have the internet (lots don't) but no incoming or outgoing emails since 1pm. On forums where thousands are complaining they say its going to be at least 48 hours before it's sorted! I am trying to book tickets for Gardeners World Live at NEC for Friday - it took my payment through Paypal but I have no confirmation email or e-tickets so goodness only knows if I have booked or paid. I'm fuming ..................

[FoxLee2]

How horrible for you. If you don't mind doing it, what about sprinkling salt on the snails/slugs on the patio.

[tamborine]

Try catsan to sort slugs.....and drop talktalk for BT

[Ann]

Wouldnt that kill the plants though, as they are black with them all over the leaves, chewing the flowers and buds out of the centre of my verbenas, rudbeckias and diascias - almost nothing left I really can't believe it! We always have a problem with snails (not often slugs)but this is by far the worst I have ever seen. It must be the weather conditions they love, very wet and humid out there .....

[Ann]

Tamborine - I have special slug barrier tape around the pots with snail mats laid around the stems (supposed to give them an "electric" shock!) and also have covered the soil in the pots with fine grit. Would Catsan be any better, am willing to give it a try!
Re: Talktalk - I can't change providers as I'm tied into a contract until Feb 2017 and they told me they will charge me a lot to get out of it early. :(

[tamborine]

Catsan spread around plants wont kill them. I dump used catsan around by runner beans with no damage & no slugs.

[hc4361]

Start a new thread about TalkTalk as it is possible they are in breach of contract.

[tamborine]

What soil is in your pots? I hope bought potting compostl isnt infected with slug yellow eggs?

[Mags22]

Squirt them with salty water

[Bathsheba]

Salt. And plenty of it. ;)

Baths
x x x

[jambutty]

They're a pain this year, I think due to a mild wet winter. I have never seen so many myself! I do use pellets.

[cupid04]

I once threw a load of vegetable peelings onto compost heap and accidentally threw the peeler as well. There were a load of slugs and creepy crawlies and I couldn't bring myself to retrieve it. That was a job for OH when he got out of bed after sleeping off the night shift!

[albaqwerty]

Cupes, that's what OH's are for :D

Ann, loads and loads of salt around plant pots, am sure I've read on here about digging a hole and putting in a glass of beer helps get rid of slugs and snails

[-SharonA-]

Ann, my backyard is the same. The snails and slugs are climbing up the walls.
It is like day of the triffids, except these are slugs. One even found it's way into my kitchen.
I have bought a bottle of beer and will be trying the old beer trick.

[Old_Geezer]

You can get pellets that are harmless to other wildlife.