40 dang (except I didn't say dang!) slugs..... And I just planted out this weekend.
Can we make it to 1000? Bet my bottom buck!
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They're back. I got a two month break from them. I only found an average of 4 a day. I found that a snail or more ate my new cactus and I don't know if it is going to come back and ate a section of the dragon fruit. I found some pepper seedlings with their heads cut off and a slug in the tray. I have a few holes in the broccoli but that is tolerable but one of the eggplant was half chewed. I usually kill snails and a few slugs every day.
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Welcome back Lindsay I'm starting to find tiny holes and tiny slugs on seedlings planted outside -- only two so far while raking the beds, but no doubt there will be more. I have to spot THE MOTHERS.
I have been catching them around my winter indoor garden -- HUGE ones that had managed to sneak in with the container plants. When I have time, I turn on the lights and immediately look around -- caught three of them one morning.
I have been catching them around my winter indoor garden -- HUGE ones that had managed to sneak in with the container plants. When I have time, I turn on the lights and immediately look around -- caught three of them one morning.
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Snails are definitely back. I haven't seen too many slugs but I killed 7 yesterday. all in the same area. It is raining today so I am throwing out some more slug bait. I found two together and most were just in the grass. I did find one in my orchid pot that hangs on a fence. Yeah, they climb! I did not find any signs of them on the other side of the yard that I baited a couple of weeks ago, so I guess I will have to bait the side and front yard too.
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Busy weekend! Found some Blue Salvia at Lowe's in the clearance section for $1 a piece!!! Took 6 of them home! Planted out yesterday morning and grabbed one that had a HUGE momma slug! BARE HANDED! stomped that B and went on my merry way!
Only found 10 or so tonight. Wee babies and they were only on the Marigolds and the new Salvia.
Marigold are apparently a trap crop....
My squash, Cukes, and pumpkin seedlings haven't come up yet... That I've noticed.... It's been long enough, and I'm starting to wonder if some slimy, little beasts are responsible... Could be night time temps. Still waiting!
Only found 10 or so tonight. Wee babies and they were only on the Marigolds and the new Salvia.
Marigold are apparently a trap crop....
My squash, Cukes, and pumpkin seedlings haven't come up yet... That I've noticed.... It's been long enough, and I'm starting to wonder if some slimy, little beasts are responsible... Could be night time temps. Still waiting!
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We had us a purdy lil thunderstorm tonight! Went out with big kid to peruse the garden right after the downpour. I went out to tie up plants that had grown nearly to the point of breaking. Looked down at my skeletonized marigold. That didn't look like that 2 days ago!!! Look closer... SLUGS!!!! Oh god... So many. My kid reaches down and picked one up bare handed... No problem! I hide my near retching gags and cheer her on! Ran and got the soap cup and my trusty hemostats! Yes I use surgical instruments to pick slugs! Yes I'm a total wuss! But MY KID WAS A FREAKIN BEAST!!! She would go along plant to plant holding handfuls of 5-10 slugs in her little almost 5 year old hand! Then she'd meet me at the cup and scrape them right in. I kept it all down, the contents of my stomach, but just barely! It was horrifying to watch her, but I was proud that she wasn't a wuss like her tender hearted momma!
We bagged an average of 5 or 6 slugs off of 48 marigolds. So we will place tonight's count at around 250.
I scrubbed the junk out of her little hands and nails and then painted them her favorite color afterwards............. Green.
We bagged an average of 5 or 6 slugs off of 48 marigolds. So we will place tonight's count at around 250.
I scrubbed the junk out of her little hands and nails and then painted them her favorite color afterwards............. Green.
I have been getting anywhere from one to 8 a day. Today I only found one large snail but I did see some blond slugs under the weed block. I put out sluggo last week. I will have to do it again. The good news is that even though I am finding snails, I haven't found more damage. Of course the cacti will have to live with the holes in them.
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How did I miss this thread?!! Lindsay: we are cut from the same cloth, you and I as I my stomach turns over just reading this, ha ha! I've been intently reading what you East Coasters go through via insect pests and thinking how lucky I am that I don't have the vine borers and the weevils, and the...Lindsaylew82 wrote:We had us a purdy lil thunderstorm tonight! Went out with big kid to peruse the garden right after the downpour. I went out to tie up plants that had grown nearly to the point of breaking. Looked down at my skeletonized marigold. That didn't look like that 2 days ago!!! Look closer... SLUGS!!!! Oh god... So many. My kid reaches down and picked one up bare handed... No problem! I hide my near retching gags and cheer her on! Ran and got the soap cup and my trusty hemostats! Yes I use surgical instruments to pick slugs! Yes I'm a total wuss! But MY KID WAS A FREAKIN BEAST!!! She would go along plant to plant holding handfuls of 5-10 slugs in her little almost 5 year old hand! Then she'd meet me at the cup and scrape them right in. I kept it all down, the contents of my stomach, but just barely! It was horrifying to watch her, but I was proud that she wasn't a wuss like her tender hearted momma!
We bagged an average of 5 or 6 slugs off of 48 marigolds. So we will place tonight's count at around 250.
I scrubbed the junk out of her little hands and nails and then painted them her favorite color afterwards............. Green.
But honey, I gotta say I take it all back when it comes to slugs and snails. 1000? Easy. Probably killed that many in the first week. (where's the retching emoji?) Its like the slug zombie apocalypse every night in my garden, especially if its rained. Every night, I take my dogs (could not do it alone; would feel totally outnumbered) and go out with my flashlight. You should hear me. At first, I'm pissed, but then as I find more and more, including LARGE ones like an inch plus, all massed together, I start making involuntary noises. Disgust followed by repulsion, then I start feeling faint - must get away before they get on ME! Ewwwww! And then I rush back inside and slam and lock the door.
I know, the last part doesn't make sense but its not anything I can control, but last night, when I came inside, I actually wondered if they could find their way into my house...
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So I found out the hard way the perfect trap crop - a while ago, I found these pretty white pansies at the nursery and bought a six pack. Planted them and they've flourished, except for the blossoms that have been totally eaten. The first night I went out to figure out what was eating them, I found 47 slugs in the one pot, eating away at the delicate petals.
Oh, and of course they ate my marigolds down to stubs before I figured out what was going on (yes, I live in denial a good deal of the time).
Oh, and of course they ate my marigolds down to stubs before I figured out what was going on (yes, I live in denial a good deal of the time).
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Last night, my hemostats kept getting all gooped up with congealed slug slime. I went to fling it off, and it went right on my upper lip............. I. Bout. Died.
They like to hang out in the straw mulch as well. A few years ago, I just stopped with the hemostats and starting wearing surgical gloves. So much easier, so much more slimy. They got so bad, that I actually purchased the organic slug bait, and had intended to use it!!! But then the numbers really started to decline, and my plants started looking much better. Never had to use it, but good gravy I was close!!!!
They like to hang out in the straw mulch as well. A few years ago, I just stopped with the hemostats and starting wearing surgical gloves. So much easier, so much more slimy. They got so bad, that I actually purchased the organic slug bait, and had intended to use it!!! But then the numbers really started to decline, and my plants started looking much better. Never had to use it, but good gravy I was close!!!!
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- Lindsaylew82
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applestar wrote:Big 'uns and little 'uns. More than a dozen -- stopped counting.
...Hey, did you know slug puke in soapy water glows hot pink under UV light?
I wonder if slugs glow under UV? It didn't look like it -- only the weird hot pink puke (or maybe slime....)
Uuuuuuuum... I TOTALLY HAVE ONE FOR THW!!!!
Will definitely be trying this eventually!
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eeuw! this has to be one of the grossest threads ever. I'm reading it right before bedtime and now I'm too creeped out to go to bed!
I have not done much slug hunting yet. The only ones I have found have been few and small, but there are starting to be some little holes in leaves.... I know I have to do something about it pretty soon or there will start to be big holes in leaves!
I cannot imagine picking up a slug with my bare hands, let alone squishing one that way! I usually just dust everything with diatomaceous earth and then go back in the house and let the DE do its work...
I have not done much slug hunting yet. The only ones I have found have been few and small, but there are starting to be some little holes in leaves.... I know I have to do something about it pretty soon or there will start to be big holes in leaves!
I cannot imagine picking up a slug with my bare hands, let alone squishing one that way! I usually just dust everything with diatomaceous earth and then go back in the house and let the DE do its work...
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I got 5 really BIG ones this morning, as well as about a dozen little ones.
One of the advantages of uniform mulch that is not often mentioned is that it makes spotting anomalies really easy -- weeds that don't belong, for sure, but also 2 inch long ( that is HUGE for this area) stretched out slugs, desperately trying to get to shelter before the morning light gets too bright.
There's also much to be said for simply and randomly LIFTING UP objects when it comes to finding slugs.
One of the advantages of uniform mulch that is not often mentioned is that it makes spotting anomalies really easy -- weeds that don't belong, for sure, but also 2 inch long ( that is HUGE for this area) stretched out slugs, desperately trying to get to shelter before the morning light gets too bright.
There's also much to be said for simply and randomly LIFTING UP objects when it comes to finding slugs.
I usually look in the same places I have found them before. Under pots, in the pots eating the roots, clinging between pots, and early in the morning I can catch a few going accross the lawn. The last snail was as big as my palm and it took several whacks with the hoe matic to even break the shell. The birds will come and clean it up later.
I got three more this morning in the front yard. I need to bait that place. The back yard was baited earlier and I did not find any today. Doesn't mean they aren't there, they just aren't as stupid.
I got three more this morning in the front yard. I need to bait that place. The back yard was baited earlier and I did not find any today. Doesn't mean they aren't there, they just aren't as stupid.
Last edited by imafan26 on Tue May 31, 2016 10:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I see a lot of damage to my young plants in he spring. I am in Oregon so I have seen good results with Sluggo the rains tend to wash it away. I have tried beer in cups with cardboard to shade it and keep the rain off with limited success. Wild rabbits seemed to love the adult bevs. So I was getting rid of one pest and attracting a new one. I pick about 8 to 10 slugs per trip out to the garden. Anyone got a good remedy
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Just keep picking. My kid thinks it's great fun to go and search for them, and then she thinks it doubly fun to chase me with her slimy slug hands, because she knows they gross me WAY THE EFF out! but seriously...
We had a fairly heavy, but brief downpour a around 5 which brought out the slugs by 6:30. Man and Big Kid went out and practiced how they would gross me out at the next opportunity. (Sneaky sneaks!)
They came in with somewhere around 90!
I swear I picked at least twice that many this weekend!
Mostly on the marigolds.
We had a fairly heavy, but brief downpour a around 5 which brought out the slugs by 6:30. Man and Big Kid went out and practiced how they would gross me out at the next opportunity. (Sneaky sneaks!)
They came in with somewhere around 90!
I swear I picked at least twice that many this weekend!
Mostly on the marigolds.
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I had an epiphany -- Haha I was thinking that I read in a novel -- either A Year in Provence or The Art of Eating ...both delightfully rich with detailed description of French cooking -- that prep is key when cooking escargot and you purge the snails by feeding them cornmeal and drowning them in wine. Then thought wait, isn't that what you do to catch slugs? - cornmeal and beer? Hey, so they're already prepped. Buy those fancy serving shells and plates at gourmet kitchenware stores and serve them with those fancy little forks, and who would know the difference.
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