snails & slugs

Tim Harvey zigur@hotmail.com
Sun, 11 Mar 2007 23:53:14 PDT
I have to disagree with your conclusions regarding decollate snails. When I 
still had 'standard' Californian plantings of Agapanthus and other mesic, 
leafy plants, the decollates really tore into the regular snail population.

As I progressively xeriscaped my garden, the decollates died out. They were 
never a problem to the garden plants.

Tim in SoCal


>From: "C.J. Teevan" <gardenstreet184@yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
>To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
>Subject: Re: [pbs] snails & slugs
>Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 23:33:43 -0700 (PDT)
>
>I can tell you all about Snails and Slugs.
>
>Diatomaceous Earth is a pain in the neck but it's very effective.  You have 
>to re-apply every time it rains, or if you get the stuff wet.  But it 
>works.
>
>Coffee Grounds, which are now available from Starbucks for Free at some 
>locations, to my surprise also works.  I applied all over my garden last 
>summer -- any time something's free, I tend to go a little nuts, but I had 
>ready they attract earthworms while also amending the soil.  Then I found 
>that the slugs would attack any Oriental Lilies right up the stem that were 
>not surrounded with these used Coffee Grounds but if I put down Coffee 
>Grounds the next day, no problem.
>
>I have not tried the Instant Coffee Method.  But you have to buy that.  
>These Coffee Grounds are F R E E FREE!
>
>The copper collar also works but you have to keep it clean.  At least it's 
>reusable.  Apparently the goo on the slug reacts with the copper and they 
>get an electric shock.
>
>But my most favorite solution of all time (which I do not have any control 
>over yet): Fireflies.
>
>I have just learned quite by accident that Firefly Larvae LOVE to eat 
>Slugs.
>
>I had intended to buy some of these because I don't really know if I'll 
>have that many next summer.  Clearly, I don't, or I would not have this 
>problem.  It is however important to know what the Firefly Beetles look 
>like and the larvae as well.  That way you don't kill the ones you do have.
>
>The beer can solution has never worked for me.  I personally dislike the 
>taste of beer, but I went out and purchased a six pack of Budweiser for 
>this very purposes.  I have several thousand slugs up and down my driveway 
>crawling all over the Hostas there.  I am not kidding -- several thousand.  
>I know because I started hand picking them, out of desperation, and I would 
>count them.  I was totally determined to win this slugfest.  When I spent a 
>week pulling 500 a night off the leaves, and there was no end in sight, I 
>decided I would have to find a better way.
>
>Meantime, I learned that Slugs actually do have their place in the garden.  
>I let them have the Hostas in the driveway and they can crawl all over the 
>grass.  They are extremely effective at digesting certain kinds of organic 
>matter and a few other things that make them worth having around.  I just 
>don't want them crawling all over the flowers.
>
>Garter snakes and certain frogs also enjoy eating them.  Of course this is 
>much more difficult and I don't know if even they could keep up with my 
>thousands of Slugs population.  I have also heard that chickens work.
>
>Oh... there is another Slug predator, a Snail called a Decollete (sp?) 
>snail.  It devours Slugs with a smile.  Unfortunately, they will also eat 
>the rest of the garden, so don't even bother with those, because once 
>they've moved in, you're in real trouble.
>
>Finally... something I really know!
>
>Agoston Janos <agoston.janos@citromail.hu> wrote: Hi All again!
>
>I'm now fighting with snails and slugs. Here if I let bulbs in the clay 
>slugs go down to the bulb as leaves turn yellow and snack on them in the 
>whole summer killing a lots of valuable bulbs for me.
>
>There are some desiccant mollusticides here, but as a rain comes slugs are 
>rehydrating and slipping towards to eat someting new.
>
>Does anybody have some really good method to get rid of them, please?
>
>Bye,
>Jani Z5a
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