Slugs In The Garden

[corylus]

I've recently noticed loads of grey mottled slugs in the garden, rarely seen them before, what are they?


They still get the same treatment as all the others, I'm not fussy.

[patsyann]

See my story in chatterbank about slugs. Nightmare.

[smurfchops]

I used Nematodes in my garden two or three years ago as some of my plants were being eaten at the roots, by various creepie crawlies. Since then no slugs ... Try them, you can get them online.

[corylus]

We have a special breed of slug that is able to limbo through the angles of the metal storm threshold under the kitchen door. Others find their way from outside into the cupboard under the sink!

[smurfchops]

Could you run a trail of cheap kitchen salt all around the outside of your house ?

[corylus]

Think your idea for a 'Salt Slug Barrier' could catch on and be a simple answer to the problem, do you think that sea-salt crystals would last longer when it rains? Or perhaps some enterprising company could come up with a 'Slug Proof Course' to be added to a damp proof course!

[ladybirder]

Corylus, sorry but you don't have a special breed of slug, they can all do that unfortunately. Putting salt down makes a right mess of the slug and makes me want to be sick. Try Nemaslug, it all goes on beneath the surface of the soil then and they should stop com ing into your house. Good luck, they are the stuff of nightmares.

[corylus]

Joking about the salt barrier!

[frugalfred]

Sink a dish into the soil so that its lip is level with the soil-level, add some beer.

[corylus]

I'm actually asking what these grey mottled slugs are as I haven't seen them in the last few WET summers here.

I have ways of dealing with them..........

[frugalfred]

Deroceras praecox
You can Google that name and find out the details. Also in Wikipedia.

[jomifl]

http://www.opalexplorenature.org/LeopardSlug
If this the fellow then there is no need to kill it as it does no harm and in fact eats other slugs.

[horseshoes]

Seriously, if you want a barrier, save your egg shells (and ask all your friends for theirs too), and crush them. I promise you that the slugs WILL NOT cross them. I put a circle of egg shells around my hostas and lettuces etc etc. Try it, it works.

[frugalfred]

That's a more likely candidate than my suggestion, jomifl.

[jomifl]

Frugal, indiscriminate slug slaughter is a bit like killing sheepdogs 'cos they are related to wolves.

[patsyann]

Well I have found my slimy horror.Limax Flavus

[corylus]

I found leopard slugs looking them up this afternoon, if that's what they are and they eat other slugs I'll make a sanctuary for them in a corner of the garden........

[ladybirder]

I really hope they are corylus. I had never heard of them until I read Jom's link (thanks Jom).

[jomifl]

I guess they have the spots so that when they are hiding in dappled sunlight their prey doesn't spot them until they have pounced :-)

[ladybirder]

I'm wondering where I can buy some:-)