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parker34
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Slugs eating my Basil

A couple of mornings back while inspecting the half eaten basil leaves on some of our plants, my wife noticed a slug on one of my basil plants.
After applying gentle (hard) pressure with a rock to the back of the slug, it's spilled its guts with a lovely color of green. The very same color of green that the basil is.. :evil:

What can I use to get rid of these slugs? I have heard corn meal attacts them and after they eat it they die. I have also heard that a cup of beer will attract them as well, but would that kill them?

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

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parker34
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Thanks Marlin!
I put a couple dishes of beer out near the basil plants last night. This morning, I checked them out.

I had one slug at the bottom of the beer, he didn't look too good. There were 4 others around the lip of that dish. They must have been frightened by the site of the drowned slug in the beer, so I helped them get a closer look at him. :P
Then I found a bigger slug trying to get away from the plants. He looked thirsty so I showed him where to wet his whistle.

So I got 6 slugs in 9 hours for one night! not a bad catch I guess. Kinda interesting the things that work. I'll be extra diligent going forward to keep them away! I WANT PESTO!!! :)

orcaskids
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As I have just registered I am not certain anyone has ever posted a solution for slugs common in Ireland. This is great for Northwest climates that are also wet. Slug huts contain the beer that attract and kill slugs, however prevent the rain from diluting the beer. Also common in rural Ireland....ducks, who adore slugs. Not practical for most of us, I suppose. [/b]

Bobberman
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Sometimes sand works since it clings to them. I would sugges a little salt on a snail kills them fast. They actually disolve with salt on them! I like epsom salts sprinkled over the ground once a week. You can also make a small epsom or salt border around the basil and once they try to cross they die! If you have any boards or bricks around look under them!

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parker34
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oh the joys of success! The beer has continued to work. After our latest down pour the other morning the beer cups I have been using were diluted, needless to say, but all the slug bodies were visible at the bottom of the cups! :twisted: (Note to self, refill the beer cups tonight!)

The plants appear to be doing a little better!

I have been looking for the lil buggers under the bricks, and have led them to the fountains of youth for a drink :cool: only they usually fall in to that fountain and end up drunk and dead :)

Hmm salt you say? Interesting... he he heeee

cynthia_h
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To my mind, the point of slug/snail slaughter is to make them dead, not to torture them. This is why I utilize a quick smash to the body with a trowel or stick, or a stomp with my shoe/hiking boot (during the rainy season).

Why would anyone salt their earth? It's a historically known way of destroying the soil's fertility. The Romans salted Carthage after they destroyed the city. Nothing grew there for centuries.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

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smaxey843
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I'm fascinated and glad to hear the slug problem was resolved by a saucer of beer no less, and also a little fascinated with bobber's zeal for slug torture!! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Bobberman
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Torture happens every day with wasps! Lets not get religion involved with the foru,m please! Any kind of pestiside can be called torture if you whant to define the word is such a liberal way! So do slugs torure my letuce?

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smaxey843
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I'm sorry bobber I was just expressing my appreciation for how excited you were to be done with your slugs by way of salt. I'm sorry but I don't see how I wrote anything about religion, maybe the word zeal but that was just meant it to show enthusiasm :D but again I never intended a religious comment.

Bobberman
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No it wasn't you and I was just kidding any way! Slug those snails. Ya they can really put alot of holes in you lettuce! Maybe I have a lot of snails in my garden because they smell the beer from the Rolling rock brewery that is built around my garden oly 40 feet away! They make Icy light now!



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