I went out and bough the super giant bag of slug and snail bait, I kept a barrier around the raised bed and still... they were eating my plants down to stubs. I finally put it at the bases of the plant's and hopefully that will do the trick but what the heck?! What else can I do? I'm at my wits end! I had about 30 plants come up... every last one of them are eaten up a number of them have been nibbled down to stumps.
going crazy over here....
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mrsgreenthumbs
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GardenJester
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You could try Diatomaceous earth. Spread it around the base of your plants form it into a barrier. you might want to wear latex gloves, and breathing mask. It's not really toxic, but it is an irratant, so you don't want to be rubbing your eyes after handling it, at least not until after you wash up first.
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applestar
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Too bad your chicks are too little for a "sleep over".... 
(Actually, I suppose chickens would eat the green bean plants 
) You're just going to have to go out on night-patrols, hand-pick them, THEN feed them to your little ones. 
Do you have the West coast giant slugs? In my garden last year, slugs did eat the bush bean leaves, yes, but only by leaving holes, not the entire plant. You sure you don't have bunnies coming into your yard?
(Actually, I suppose chickens would eat the green bean plants ) You're just going to have to go out on night-patrols, hand-pick them, THEN feed them to your little ones. Do you have the West coast giant slugs? In my garden last year, slugs did eat the bush bean leaves, yes, but only by leaving holes, not the entire plant. You sure you don't have bunnies coming into your yard?
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mrsgreenthumbs
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apple - I'm sure. I'll have to snap a photo of the carnage! It starts with a hole, then two, then 3... so on and so forth untill there is nothing but the stem. I don't have GIANT slugs... just a but load of little tiny one's. I don't mind sharing some of my garden with critter's... I just want some for myself too!
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The Helpful Gardener
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gixxerific
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!potatoes!
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mrsgreenthumbs
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mrsgreenthumbs
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Found a bunch dried up and mummified on the veggie bed with the green beans and with the spinach. Guess the poison is working. How soon before the chickens go outside should I quit putting out snail and slug bait? I don't want my girls eating slugs that could make them sick.... The chicks are almost 2 weeks old so I have 3 more weeks till they need their coop finished (and we haven't even started on it!!!!) 
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mrsgreenthumbs
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Turtles eat slugs, yummy! Now to find a turtle to live in your garden!!
Have you tried the beer bait. Slugs have no pride. If you don't drink beer, get a 6 of the cheapest. Put some in a dish. I have used tops from coffee cans, sour cream containers etc. Check in the AM, and you should find these slimy things had a grand party, and never made it home.
If you happen to see some slithering, salt them. Carry a salt shaker with you and give each a good dose. You want minimal salt on the ground (garden). Some folks go out after dark with salt shaker and a flashlight and go to work. I think one would need to drink a beer or 2 before that campaign!
Have you tried the beer bait. Slugs have no pride. If you don't drink beer, get a 6 of the cheapest. Put some in a dish. I have used tops from coffee cans, sour cream containers etc. Check in the AM, and you should find these slimy things had a grand party, and never made it home.
If you happen to see some slithering, salt them. Carry a salt shaker with you and give each a good dose. You want minimal salt on the ground (garden). Some folks go out after dark with salt shaker and a flashlight and go to work. I think one would need to drink a beer or 2 before that campaign!
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mrsgreenthumbs
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Susan - Oh my lord.... you just totally reminded me of a child hood memory of my granny. She would take this old cooking pot and go about first thing in the morning with a cigarette hanging from her mouth picking snails and slugs from the garden so one day I was out with her in the yard when she asked me to go get the salt... I hadn't paid attention to what she did with a pot of snails... hadn't given it much thought... so I asked, like all curious little girls would.
"What's the salt for Grammi?"
Grammi - "the snails...watch"
It took her 2 hours or so to calm me down. I threatened to call the police on her for animal cruelty.
"What's the salt for Grammi?"
Grammi - "the snails...watch"
It took her 2 hours or so to calm me down. I threatened to call the police on her for animal cruelty.
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applestar
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Back then you simply couldn't appreciate your Grammi's grim satisfaction in the writhing agony and demise of the Stomachs-on-Feet (as cynthia_h calls them) that ate the fruits of her labor. 
Night after night, picking up literally HUNDREDS of slugs that ate punched-tin-lanterns out of my lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower as I cast around the beam of the flashlight, I did reach that point of
-ness.
But I recovered my more peaceful nature after. I am somewhat relieved to feel again an unshakable internal conflict in seeing them suffer.
...still, what must be done, must be done. 
You just haven't reached that point yet.
(Although with a childhood trauma like that hanging over you, you might end up surrendering the garden to the footed slimers.
This year, I'm working to get them before they grow up and I have to lay eyes on them. Have been diligent with DE, wheat bran, as well as the Iron Phosphate-bait. Initial casualties have been mostly little 1/4" snails.
Night after night, picking up literally HUNDREDS of slugs that ate punched-tin-lanterns out of my lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower as I cast around the beam of the flashlight, I did reach that point of
-ness.But I recovered my more peaceful nature after. I am somewhat relieved to feel again an unshakable internal conflict in seeing them suffer.
...still, what must be done, must be done. You just haven't reached that point yet.
(Although with a childhood trauma like that hanging over you, you might end up surrendering the garden to the footed slimers.
This year, I'm working to get them before they grow up and I have to lay eyes on them. Have been diligent with DE, wheat bran, as well as the Iron Phosphate-bait. Initial casualties have been mostly little 1/4" snails.
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mrsgreenthumbs
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Dixana - It's in our blood. My Great Grandmother Nana is 96 and she was "green" before the word meant what it does today. That woman can stick anything in the ground and make it grow. My Grammi is the same way but her tricks are all chem related... I'm working on her . And then mom is a major gardener. She can't grow stuff like I can or Nana, she's more into succulent's, and if she can't MAKE her garden green then she will throw money at it until it obeys! And little old me lol. Most of the cousins don't really bother with the gardening so I'm pretty proud of my hobby/obsession. Carrying on the tradition 5 generations strong.
. And then mom is a major gardener. She can't grow stuff like I can or Nana, she's more into succulent's, and if she can't MAKE her garden green then she will throw money at it until it obeys! And little old me lol. Most of the cousins don't really bother with the gardening so I'm pretty proud of my hobby/obsession. Carrying on the tradition 5 generations strong. -
mrsgreenthumbs
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Oh apple... I was WAY over the scarrage after my first year in my own home and (I happen to be a barefoot type of child... I is special lol) I would go out to lovingly inspect my tiny, weed over run work in progress of a garden and feel the nasty cold squish of slug gut's between my TOES! I wear shoes more often now... I think part of my problem (or so I'm trying to convince my DH) is his stopid camero that he insists on leaving in my garden... NOT cool. It was supposed to have been gone a year ago... GRRR. So I think it's a home to all those slug's... plus I want to build my chicken pen there so CAMERO HAS TO GO DARNIT!
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applestar
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Oh, well, why not work with what you got -- What about a CAMERO CHICKEN COOP 
(too bad it's not a FIREBIRD... )
Hmm let's see... take the tires off and put the wheels on cinder blocks painted/decorated with adorable chicken pictures... you don't need the engine block, so take all that stuff out and hang the waterer and the feeder from the hood so when you open it, they'll rise up for filling... hm, hm... You can run a ramp up under the hood to the floor...
Keep the battery and you can hook up the light bulb to keep them warm when needed, and play some music on the radio -- some people say chickens like music.... Set up the rear deck with nesting boxes so you can collect the eggs from that end.... Are the windows electric or manual, because if they're manual, that would be fantastic, you can adjust ventilation as needed...
(too bad it's not a FIREBIRD... )Hmm let's see... take the tires off and put the wheels on cinder blocks painted/decorated with adorable chicken pictures... you don't need the engine block, so take all that stuff out and hang the waterer and the feeder from the hood so when you open it, they'll rise up for filling... hm, hm... You can run a ramp up under the hood to the floor...
Keep the battery and you can hook up the light bulb to keep them warm when needed, and play some music on the radio -- some people say chickens like music.... Set up the rear deck with nesting boxes so you can collect the eggs from that end.... Are the windows electric or manual, because if they're manual, that would be fantastic, you can adjust ventilation as needed...
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mrsgreenthumbs
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Oh my, memories coming out of the long gone past! I grew up in SE Massachusetts. We had gardens and chickens, sheep and such. The next neighbor down the road had some old car in the yard and set up as a chicken coop. I kid you not!
BTW, that was before Cameros and firebirds.... Not quite model T's, but definitely older.
BTW, that was before Cameros and firebirds.... Not quite model T's, but definitely older.