|
|
 |
Author |
|
| Message | |
|
Mary-Jane
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 14523
Location: Ceredigion, West Wales
|
 Posted: Sun May 11, 08 7:18 am Post subject: What weapons do you use in the battle... |
 
|
...against the onslaught of slugs, snails and cabbage white butterflies on your lovingly raised seedlings?
I've just been planting all my brassicas out this weekend and I have to confess (forgive me all Organic Gods  ) to using liberal amounts of slug pellets this year. Mind you, I went out at 6am today to find two plants already eaten. That worked then.  Not.
So, what else can we all do in this dirty war? How about a controllled 'speriment of different types of prevention? |
|
|
|
 |
jocorless
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 4162
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire
|
| Posted: Sun May 11, 08 7:31 am Post subject: |
|
Organic Slug pellets, Collecting them, nemtodes, X shaped slug traps and the chickens - I have to say though that at the moment we do not seem to have as bad a problem as we have had in previous years - Although we have seen a huge increase in the Wild Bird population around us and I suspect that has had a large part to play in keeping the numbers down
Even my Hostas are relatively unscathed - usually they get munched straight away
Oh and I forgot to say - butterflies are going to be tackled today - I've got some of those build a ball things, some aluminium tubing and black netting - It didn't really work last year but I'm going to give it another go with a slightly more sophisticated approach |
|
|
|
|
Mary-Jane
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 14523
Location: Ceredigion, West Wales
|
| Posted: Sun May 11, 08 7:39 am Post subject: |
|
| jocorless wrote: |
Organic Slug pellets, Collecting them, nemtodes, X shaped slug traps and the chickens
...butterflies are going to be tackled today - I've got some of those build a ball things, some aluminium tubing and black netting |
Yes, my slug pellets are organic too. Don't seem to be terribly effective so far though!
What are X-shaped slug traps...as opposed to ordinary round ones?
And the chickens are great for disposing of all the collected snails. It's a joy to watch the rugby matches over the juciest ones... 
Tahir very kindly gave us some butterfly mesh last year which is very good - but we need to set it back up this year better than we did last time. I'd be interested to see some pics of your build a ball thingy when you've got it set up Jo. |
|
|
|
|
Bebo
Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 5070
Location: East Sussex
|
| Posted: Sun May 11, 08 7:40 am Post subject: |
|
These. Keeps the butterflies and birds off. Doesn't stop slugs, but I either pick them off or use slug pellets without fear of poisoning any birds. Has the extra benefit of stopping the dog trampling stuff when she decides to have a funny five minutes and run round the paddock at full pelt. |
|
|
|
|
Mary-Jane
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 14523
Location: Ceredigion, West Wales
|
| Posted: Sun May 11, 08 7:42 am Post subject: |
|
Hey - they look brilliant. Did you make them or buy them in like that? If so, where?  |
|
|
|
|
Bebo
Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 5070
Location: East Sussex
|
| Posted: Sun May 11, 08 7:48 am Post subject: |
|
The OH made them. It's water pipe (inch and a half or similar), bits of old timber from the building work we had done and scaffold netting. Last year we just used the water pipe pushed into the ground with the netting draped over the top and pegged down, but it was a bit unstable and a faff having to keep unpegging the netting to weed etc. These ones are on a 2" x 2" wooden frame so can be lifted off and put to one side. Yesterday the OH came up with the bright idea of putting a loop of string along the top so that they can be pulled upright from one end.
With your system you could make them the exact width of the raised beds.
I managed to get a good deal on netting by ordering in bulk of t'internet. I can try to find the site again if you want. |
|
|
|
|
Mary-Jane
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 14523
Location: Ceredigion, West Wales
|
| Posted: Sun May 11, 08 7:53 am Post subject: |
|
I'm terrifically impressed! Would you consider writing an article for Downsizer on how you made them? I'm sure people would love to know.
We used water pipe tubing on ours last year too...but yours seem a lot more stable than ours.
I'd love the link for the netting as well - thanks. |
|
|
|
|
Bebo
Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 5070
Location: East Sussex
|
|
|
|
|
jocorless
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 4162
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire
|
| Posted: Sun May 11, 08 10:00 am Post subject: |
|
The Slug X trap look's like this:
I find them very very effective even though they aren't particularly cheap, they are very robust and will last a long time - Mine caught hundreds of slugs last year - the biggest problem was having to keep emptying them because they soon fill up with the beasties |
|
|
|
|
LynneA
Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Posts: 2560
Location: London N21
|
| Posted: Sun May 11, 08 10:56 am Post subject: |
|
The only places I've had slug & snail damage this year are ones that Russell can't reach.
Sheba sees to keeping the birds off. |
|
|
|
|
JB
Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 5407
Location: Sitting in a corner gently beating my head against the wall
|
| Posted: Sun May 11, 08 11:28 am Post subject: |
|
Or for the overengineered approach ...
BBC |
|
|
|
|
mark
Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 1484
Location: Derby
|
| Posted: Sun May 11, 08 12:11 pm Post subject: |
|
| JB wrote: |
Or for the overengineered approach ...
BBC |
looks like it works on much the same principles as a thrush but not as pretty. |
|
|
|
|
Treacodactyl
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 18569
Location: In the pond with the frogs
|
| Posted: Sun May 11, 08 12:18 pm Post subject: |
|
I've just been collecting them up and either killing them, feeding them to the hens or putting the largest snails at the back of the garden. I either go out at dusk or place upturned pots all over the veg patch and collect the critters in the morning.
It's getting to that time of year when I suggest we all try eating the large garden snails, hopefully this year I might find a way of making them edible.  |
|
|
|
|
Jamanda
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 16550
Location: North Devon
|
| Posted: Sun May 11, 08 12:53 pm Post subject: |
|
| JB wrote: |
Or for the overengineered approach ...
BBC |
Fantastic - it's like something out of Wallace and Grommit. |
|
|
|
|
Soapnutter
Joined: 09 Sep 2007
Posts: 684
Location: Derbyshire, England
|
| Posted: Sun May 11, 08 5:02 pm Post subject: |
|
I'm finding that a regular spray of soap nut solution is dealing with the slugs, and my brassicas are in a similar looking plant shelter that I got from Lidl this year.
*crossing fingers that it all works and I get to eat some of what I grow!* |
|
|
|
|
|
View Latest Posts