slugs - LJN Blog Posts - Landscape Juice Network2024-03-28T19:49:33Zhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/slugsSlugs and Snail controlhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/slugs-and-snail-control2009-03-09T12:30:00.000Z2009-03-09T12:30:00.000ZPip Howardhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/PipHoward<div>This year there is set to be yet another plague of slugs and snails. The weather conditions are somewhat to blame for the huge increase in the last two years. But this is only one factor in the reason for the continuing population boom of the gardeners worst enemy.To further misery to traditional gardeners, slug pellets will inevitably be banned fairly soon. The damage they cause to other fauna is just too great. After the anti EU headlines have abated after the ban, it will be time to install the new measures to combat the menace of the gastropod.The biggest problem is that the 'traditional' method of control has had a 'catch 22' effect, whilst killing the slugs and snails effectively it also led to a decline in the predators of these animals. The second major factor is the UK's passion for keeping cats. A Basque 'soils' man who was working with the CSL group last year was astounded by the size of the UK cat population and directly blamed them for our slug and snail problem. He was adamant, (although I doubt this is backed up by any academic research), that as the Basque people had to resort to eating all their cats during the Spanish Civil War the population of cats is minimal and as such the traditional predators of slugs and snails, namely, Bird's particularly Thrush, Slow Worms, Hedgehogs and Toads are common and will keep the gastropods under control.I would not dare to utter that there needs to be a cat cull in the UK, to satisfy horticulture, as I do not wish a lynch mob out to get me.Living in France it is very evident that there is little problems with slugs and snails, (whilst the common guess at this would be that they eat them - this is not true, where I am at least). The cat population is lower here, but I don't think this is the answer too.The French are brilliant at 'sustainable' gardening, there is no altruism to it, they are certainly not all green minded either. It simply makes sense and costs nothing. As such around most of the vegetable plots and in 'Potager' gardens, they have an arsenal of little habitats constructed into gardens to make suitable homes for the predators they need to encourage.Toads are treated with reverence here, rightly so, their ability to significantly reduce a population of slugs is fantastic. As such holes dug into the ground at a slight angle can be found everywhere. The walls of these holes are usually old slates and in some cases I have seen sections of concrete drainage about 500mm long just inserted into the ground with a loose flat stone on top. These little burrows can house up to 5 or 6 large toads at a time.Dry stone walls or habitat piles are deliberately constructed to allow for habitats, slow worms are very common and are voracious predators on both slugs and snails. A collapsed section of wall I have seen near here actually has small chambers carefully built into the bottom. The entrances are built to encourage hedgehogs. We regularly build walls in Cornwall to incorporate habitats for bats and birds but have never done anything at the bottom. We will now.The use of loose gravel dust, (crushed down), is the main product used on paths and surfacing in gardens in France. I have been told that in Potager gardens this is done to discourage slugs and snails, Many of the foliage plants are grown up and through this material and the resulting crop is untouched.Crushed garlic is also used, left for a few days in water and sprinkled around the important plants absolutely guarantees their protection. I have used the 'garlic barrier' product in the UK and have found it fairly effective, although unfortunately it is not for the part time gardener, as you have to top up regularly due to the rain and it will make even the most precious crops financially unviable.The last trick I know actually comes from Argyll, Scotland there I have met an old boy gardener who used to spread large quantities of river silt around the plot, he said it encouraged birds to come and peck through the soil thus disparaging slug and snail colonisation. However it did work it definately worked.<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.paysagedurable.com" target="_blank">www.paysagedurable.com</a></div>