Hi everyone!

I saw 2 LARGE (at least 3 inches, while crawling) slugs on my porch a few nights ago, and put them in the driveway...

Then I sprinkled table salt on them, and the surrounding area...

Needless to say, they were dead in the morning, along with a couple of their friends...

But, it has been 2 or 3 days (with constant rain & drizzle, too!), and slugs are still coming to the area and dying...wouldn't you think when they crawl on that area, they would flinch, and go elsewhere?

There were about 6 more there tonight...some "suffering", and some appeared to be dead already...I hate them, so I re-sprinkled the area, but my son thought I was causing them a horrible death, and made me feel bad...he's 18, doesn't help much with the garden, and doesn't know what horrible creatures they are, I guess!

Anyway, I still feel guilty, and now I am "imagining" them screaming outside (LOL)...

Any better solutions? Or at least less painful for them, and my son?

Thanks...Vicki

There isn't much I will kill, but slugs are definitely on the list. Snails too. I simply cut them in half with a scissors (dedicated for that job only). At least it's quick.

Let me guess...your son is also one of those that lets mosquitos take their fill, and doesn't smash them on his arm?

Look closely at your gardening practices to see what you can change so the slugs will be less of a problem. The mulches I have create the nice cool, moist environment that slugs like and I find many that I dispose of as I find them but I do not need to make a concerted effort to kill the buggers since they do very little damage to any plants, apparently the mulches provide enough food for them. Also I have lots of toads and a couple of garter snakes in the garden and their most favoritest food is slugs and they are a help in keeping the population under control. Get your yard and garden into a balanced eco system and these pests will no longer be a problem.


Message was edited by: KimmSr


Message was edited by: KimmSr

KimmSr...

The funny thing is that I had very few slugs this summer, but now there are alot of them crawling across the driveway towards my porch...maybe there is something on my porch they want?

I also have a mint (spearmint, I think) plant that I planted from pieces in the spring, which, of course, has grown large...maybe they are hiding under there until evening?

There is red bark mulch in the area...

The salt is working, but it looks so gross to see them in the morning!
Thanks, Vicki

Jenniferch...
I remember reading that you cut them in half...then you just leave them in the yard?

I have a small dog, and hate the thought of her walking on the dead slugs in the morning...I have to go "sweep" them out of the driveway now, before I let her out!

They are Soooo disgusting!
Thanks...Vicki

Pepperhead...

You know what?
I bet he DOES let the mosquitoes eat! I will have to ask him...

I told him that I didn't see any purpose in life for slugs, and he didn't see any purpose for spiders, which I don't mind, and only kill if it is in the house freaking one of my kids out!

Normally, I just leave spiders alone...guess he just didn't understand that!
Thanks, Vicki

This is why I like to use beer, I can tell myself that at least they're maybe dying happy. And there is no screaming involved. I never could do the salt thing, tried it once and I felt like a sadist. I think they did scream. :_|

The slugs and snails are almost always on plants or on soil when I see them, so the pieces just fall onto the soil when I cut them in half.

beebop...

I have tried the beer in the summer, and got a couple, but these "troopers" seem to be on a mission...to somewhere... Like the turtles did in NC...in May, they went east, and in Sept. they went west...to spend the winter...

Do they "hibernate" someplace in the winter? Like near my porch? Under mulch? In my cellar?
Are they trying to get somewhere in that area, to pro-create, and send their "masses" to my plants next spring?

I think I will offer some more beer tonight...maybe they are in the party mood!

Thanks...Vicki

Jenniferch,

Ok, that sounds better...
Mine have been large, and on my driveway, or porch, and I would have to pick them up, to cut them...Ewwwww!!!

Do any fish like them for bait? Not that I know of, or they would have been extinct by now, with people using them for bait!
Thanks...Vicki

here are a couple of enlightening slug links - the first one is, to me at least, hilarious.

http://ifaq.wap.org/sex/sexandgardenslug.html

this one's pretty entertaining, too -

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_073

Might be hilarious to YOU, but to me it wouldn't be funny at all being chewed off like that. :_|

roflrofl.

Hmmm....I can think of an ex-beau for whom it would be a distinct improvement. ]