Egg-shells for slugs

[carrotsticks]

I read somewhere that having eggshells around your plot keeps slugs at bay as the slugs don't like the feel of them on their bellies Well, my jury's still out on if this works or not,but as a vegetarian, I don't like the idea of slug-pellets and the likes. I just thought I'd share that with you as my first post!

[Chantal]

I understood that you should bake them first to make them very crunchy then break them up into small bits. I've never used them though.

[oldherbaceous]

Hello me old carrotsticks, i think some people have more luck with egg shells than others. It might depend on what else is about for them to eat, or what plants you have in your plot. If it's something they really like they will probably put up with a bit of discomfort.
I see your a vegetarian, but i didn't now slug pellets were made of meat. HA. HA.

Kind regards the cheeky Old Herbaceous.

Theres no fool like an old fool.

[Jenny Green]

I found eggshells completely useless. I use woodash, which works really well, but you have to reapply after heavy rain. It also fertilises the soil.

[Guest]

Yep there's a new variety of slug pellets that are supposed to go well with gravy. Very crunchy I'm told Wood ash? Intersting! I'll try that, It sounds more promising than eggs.

[carrotsticks]

:lol: Yep there's a new variety of slug pellets that are supposed to go well with gravy. Very crunchy I'm told Wood ash? Intersting! I'll try that, It sounds more promising than eggs.

That was me I just forgot to sign in!!!

[peter]

Would that make them snails then?

[Compo]

Horse Bran which is about seven quid for a big bag is great, as is builders grit (sharp sand) very non hazardous and good for breaking up clay soil. Both need to spread around the plants - but don't leave a gap or it is like leaving the garden gate open.

[mazmezroz]

Have tried most of the above, and have now given up and put a few of the dreaded blue pellets around my cabbages on the basis that I don't believe I planted them solely for the benefit of slug dining, but for us to have some cabbages. If I hadn't resorted to pellets, we would have fat slugs and no cabbages to eat.

There are organic pellets hitting the market, so will try them methinks.

A pond is a good idea too, and I must sort that out. Frogs love a good slug for dinner, and my sister in law reckons that's why she has no problems with our sluggy friends in her garden.

[carrotsticks]

Organic pellets? What, they're made from Organic matter or they don't kill the slugs?

[Tony T.]

There is an organic slug killer. I've recently bought some and it seems to work, killing slugs and snails but not other wildlife. It's made by "Growing Success" and its called "Advanced Slug Killer" Its about £5 for 750g. Ryton organic gardens use it in their veg garden. They look the same as the traditional blue pellets but work in a different way, containing Ferric Phosphate, which in time is returned harmlessly to the soil (it says here). Hope this helps.

[peter]

Book in Ottokars this lunchtime, "Fifty ways to kill a slug".

[Beccy]

We use a variety of methods, including crushed eggshell. You need enough to make a good barrier of at least an inch for each plant.

We also use the hair from our hair brushes (at the same time), but this certainly won't work for every one. OH's colleagues collected for us at one point and we found that very 'treated' hair didn't work, nor very washed hair, nor short hair (neither of us ever have our hair cut).

Bran simply encouraged vermin when we tried it. We also use beer and other traps (anything slugs can hide under counts as a trap, if you check it regularly and dispose of any you find), terminus est (a sharpened bicycle spoke), our feet if there is a hard surface to stamp on, throwing them against a wall (I should say bowling them....), putting them in old tea, surrounding the plant with coffee grounds....can't think of anything else.

Slug pellets are out for us, the idiot spaniel would eat them, and it would encourage her onto the beds, which as it is she just about understands to avoid.

[Pol]

We eat pink grapefruit for breakfast everyday and put the upturned skins on the garden. The slugs like to go underneath them and in the mornings I take out the slugs (yes with my bare hands) and feed them to the chickens, so we recycle the slugs into eggs - very pc. The chickens are a bit fussy though, they will not eat all the slugs - never realised before that not all slugs taste the same! Recommend the grapefruit method - it does work.
Polly.

[Guest]

I have an Cactus in the garden covered with the most evil spikes about 1" long, this is loved by slugs as a source of food.
The trail they leave is across the tips of the spikes until they reach the tender flesh of the plant they want to gorge on.
So personally I can't see that eggshells are any use at all, or maybe we have a race of Super slugs down south with a special built in tyre.
Don Morgan