topic Re: Question About Slug Bait in Garden

Question About Slug Bait

lovesallanimals — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 00:41:25 GMT

I grow a lot of tomatoes and other vegetables and I am a little confused about the way to use those slug bait pellets. I usually put them in front of my beds, not on them. I read that you can put the slug bait directly around the plants but if you do that aren't you attracting the slugs to come right up to your plants? I would think the bait should be away from the vegetables, near but not on the beds. What do you all think? Oh, also the organic slug bait said it acts as a natural fertilizer but I don't want slugs crawling all over my vegetables beds seeking out this "food".

Re: Question About Slug Bait

ValuSkr — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 00:46:06 GMT

I sprinkle the pellets around plants that slugs are eating, or have eaten in the past. There's no need to put pellets around plants in which they have no interest.

Re: Question About Slug Bait

Jtdmum — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 00:47:00 GMT

I'm not really up to date on slug bait. I try to keep the areas near my veggies as chemical free as I can. (pets)

I usually just put a jar lid or empty tuna can into the dirt so the top of the can is level with the dirt and fill it with stale beer. The slugs are attracted to it and fall in and drown.

Has worked great. I also have used copper tape in the past when I had raised beds. You can find it in just any garden center. I went around the bed with the tape and it kept them away.

Good luck!

Re: Question About Slug Bait

Another new name Sue — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 00:58:46 GMT

You are overthinking this. I assume you are using something like Sluggo, right? Just sprinkle it on the soil around the base of your plants if you are experiencing slug damage.

Re: Question About Slug Bait

dex — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 01:25:01 GMT

I put the bait around a wide perimeter of the veg that I am trying to protect.I also put washed crushed egg shells close to the plants.Dlugs don’t l8je that.You can sprinkle some cayenne pepper on the soil and nothing seems to like that.

Re: Question About Slug Bait

ValuSkr — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 01:25:41 GMT

@Jtdmum "Slug Bait" is just iron phosphate, not a poison. Iron is very bad for a slug's digestion, i.e. deadly. But it's safe for pets and other wildlife. It's sold under brand names like Sluggo, Escar-Go, and Bonide's Slug Magic. And adding a little iron to the soil isn't a bad thing.

Re: Question About Slug Bait

JustJazzmom — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 02:22:29 GMT

There are 2 kinds of slug products. One acts as a repellent (iron phosphate is the active ingredient) & slug killers (Ortho Bug Geta Plus is one product). Ortho label says keep out of reach of children butnis safe to use among pets & wildlife.

Follow label directions on both products. Slugs do live in your lawn, come out at night.

Re: Question About Slug Bait

misscecille — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 02:17:13 GMT

Our landscaper told us to use beer. Put out cheap plastic covers and pour really cheap beer and the slugs love it! Give it a try because it sure worked for us!

Re: Question About Slug Bait

beach-mom — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 02:30:36 GMT

@misscecille wrote:
Our landscaper told us to use beer. Put out cheap plastic covers and pour really cheap beer and the slugs love it! Give it a try because it sure worked for us!

My parents did this all of the time, and it worked for them too! My dad would put a shallow plastic bowl of beer by the garden. They were attracted to it and would try to get to it. Then they were no more!

Re: Question About Slug Bait

CelticCrafter — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 10:34:33 GMT

I'm not sure which is grosser, the live slugs or the trail of slime they leave behind and finding them dead.

Re: Question About Slug Bait

lovesallanimals — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 16:05:13 GMT

Thanks everyone! I have used beer in the past but I would need a lot of beer as I have a lot of vegetable plants. I will use some beer and now that I know that Sluggo is not a poison (my garden is organic) I will put some around the beds of the vegetables.

Re: Question About Slug Bait

Ibby114 — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 16:16:16 GMT

@beach-mom wrote:
@misscecille wrote:
Our landscaper told us to use beer. Put out cheap plastic covers and pour really cheap beer and the slugs love it! Give it a try because it sure worked for us!
My parents did this all of the time, and it worked for them too! My dad would put a shallow plastic bowl of beer by the garden. They were attracted to it and would try to get to it. Then they were no more!

@beach-mom @misscecille My folks too! This started them on their organic gardening venture also- back in the 1970's 'pestiside free' wasn't the norm.

Re: Question About Slug Bait

GingerPeach — Sat, 09 Jun 2018 15:30:46 GMT

@lovesallanimals

There are also little cap things, little mini four-legged plastic tables under which you can put the Sluggo bait. I used to do that because even though it's not necessarily harmful, you don't want your dog to overdose on iron.

I could not find a picture of what I used to use. I only found these snail "traps" but imagine just the top with four legs, like a miniature table. You'd put the bait under the table.

You may or may not want to use the "traps" since I imagine you'd either have to throw them away or clean them out, both options I think are more trouble than just using the little "mini table" version I used to use.

Here is a kind of "trap." I hope you can find just the "mini table" version (without the bottom enclosure shown here) if that works better for you.

Re: Question About Slug Bait

brewhaha — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 19:27:13 GMT

The beer technique works for me too. It also works on the slugs.

Re: Question About Slug Bait

silkyk — Sat, 09 Jun 2018 15:04:16 GMT

I'm trying something new this year. I had DH get me about 10 rolls of pennies and spread them all around my pretty deck flowers and plants that were being totally consumed by snails and slugs. I spread those pretty pennies all around and the pesky critters seem to be staying away! They hate copper. Working great! Of course if you have children or pets who like to eat copper or coins this is not for you but it sure is working for me. Looks pretty too. The first time I ever threw money at a problem and it WORKED!

Re: Question About Slug Bait

lovesallanimals — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 00:56:15 GMT

@silkyk wrote:
I'm trying something new this year. I had DH get me about 10 rolls of pennies and spread them all around my pretty deck flowers and plants that were being totally consumed by snails and slugs. I spread those pretty pennies all around and the pesky critters seem to be staying away! They hate copper. Working great! Of course if you have children or pets who like to eat copper or coins this is not for you but it sure is working for me. Looks pretty too. The first time I ever threw money at a problem and it WORKED!

silkyk: Wow - this sounds really interesting! Well, I put down the slug bait, also put some empty tuna cans around with beer, now I just have to try this penny technique, if nothing else it will look interesting and pretty. Thanks!