This set of forums is an archive of our old CGI-Based forum platform (UBB.Classic) that was never imported to our current forum (UBB.threads); as such, no new postings or registrations are allowed here.

Please instead direct all questions and postings to the our current forum here.
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#79102 September 7th, 2006 at 11:47 PM
Joined: Aug 2006
Member
OP Offline
Member
Joined: Aug 2006
.... for slugs? Just a little curious as I was wondering how high will slugs climb to eat plants? I have a number of plants perpl

#79103 September 7th, 2006 at 11:52 PM
Joined: Apr 2003
Compost Queen!
Offline
Compost Queen!
Joined: Apr 2003
Yep, I've had them up my Hollyhocks, 3 or 4ft tall.. :p

#79104 September 8th, 2006 at 12:44 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Member
OP Offline
Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Hi weezie13 wavey

Shucks frown Interesting, those little creepy crawling things in how high they can slither up huh and the damage they do. ters They are eating my plants that are potted.

I think I'm going to try coffee grounds, but I'm a little confused about whether to use, spent coffee grounds or fresh? I'm not a caffeine person so hoping de-caf will work. They are eating my dinnerplate hibiscus too. ters

#79105 September 11th, 2006 at 02:31 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
T
Member
Offline
Member
T
Joined: Aug 2006
Wouldn't putting a ring of copper wire around the plant base and tieing a ring of wire around a potted plant pot be worth a try smile I NEED to know if this works for you, floweringchild...

I'm using Starbucks spent grounds and have discovered, as many have said, how happy the worms are. BUT, I now see "the mole" has taken up residence in the front, and "the other mole" has cornered the petunias... I swear, can we win? Or not...

#79106 September 12th, 2006 at 07:05 AM
Joined: Apr 2003
Compost Queen!
Offline
Compost Queen!
Joined: Apr 2003
Quote
I swear, can we win? Or not...
I hear you there...
I am just about the point to give up on the veggie garden, whilest I have WOODCHUCKS...
I can handle anything else, but they've beaten me pretty bad this summer...

The copper around the plant should work, but
that may get a bit tedious doing that to every plant.. *and even costly*

I have often wondered about a large ring of vaseline.. they do that for ants up the poles for hummingbird food feeders....
I might try that next year, if I get around to it.

#79107 September 13th, 2006 at 12:51 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Member
OP Offline
Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Tomacco, wavey
Never heard of using copper wire to deter slugs. Hummmm. Sorry about your other pests. wavey Weezie13
I agree, copper wire would not only be tedious but very expensive. I priced out a small spool of copper wiring yesterday, too expensive. frown
Vaseline? Hummm. Dunno.

I may try used coffee grounds, even if I use decaf. Wondering if the grounds would harm my plants? Again, the ones that are getting chewed on are potted.

Other suggestions short of chemicals or pesticides?

#79108 September 13th, 2006 at 01:04 AM
Joined: Apr 2003
Compost Queen!
Offline
Compost Queen!
Joined: Apr 2003
For slugs????

DE *Diatomatious Earth *

it's made of broken pieces of shellfish spines/casings/skeletons'...
It slices the bellies' of the slugs when they go over it...

***although DE doesnt' discriminate between good bug and bad bug.. ***

#79109 September 13th, 2006 at 01:13 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Member
OP Offline
Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Thanks Weezie13,
I'll have to check that out, DE. I could use egg shells but I seldom eat eggs.

Can used coffee grinds harm potted plants?

#79110 September 13th, 2006 at 01:41 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
T
Member
Offline
Member
T
Joined: Aug 2006
Quote
Weezie wrote: The copper around the plant should work, but that may get a bit tedious doing that to every plant.. *and even costly*
Other than throwing a bit of bird seed down to attract slug-eating birds, or DE, the wire may be initially an expense but it is reusable. I may give it a try for my mums when they come back up next year.

http://www.artisticwire.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/wire.htm
The odder the colour, the cheaper by the yard (2.99/10 yds) smile (the larger the number (gauge), the thinner the wire)

So begs the question: Does coloured wire have the same slug-repelling zap charge as non-coloured wire? Mmmm... Another riddle... Duh

Plain copper wire in bulk (20-gauge, 300-foot spool is $30+6 (s&h)
http://www.whimsie.com/craftwire.html

#79111 September 13th, 2006 at 04:58 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
T
Member
Offline
Member
T
Joined: Aug 2006
I found an interesting article about copper/slugs etc. Hoping someone finds this helpful. smile

http://www.moongardening.cwc.net/copper%202.html

Snippet:

"The advantage of the tubing is to be found in its diameter and its rigidity.

"It lies flat on the top of the soil, as wire cannot -- especially wire that has been kinked and bent during the insulation-stripping process. So nothing can crawl beneath it. The surface of the soil must be flattened first of all, of course, and that applies no matter what form of copper is used as a slug/snail barrier...

..."Then there is the width of the tubing. This offers what I believe is the least width of copper if the slime that the creatures put down as they move is to convey an uncomfortable enough impression. Bear in mind that it is this slime, really, that warns the animals to go back the way they came. It is their sensor. It conveys to them everything they need to know in order to survive. It tells them that an unacceptable quantity of copper is ahead, and they hate the sensations that prolific copper gives to them via their slime."

#79112 September 13th, 2006 at 06:30 PM
Joined: Oct 2005
Member
Offline
Member
Joined: Oct 2005
I can show you how high they'll go to...uhhh...ummmm...do the procreation bit. wink About 6' up on the siding of my house...I guess that's what they are doing. I freaked out when I saw them. :rolleyes:
flowers%20and%20Plants/Slugs.jpg" alt="[Linked Image]" class="post-image" style="height:auto!important;max-width:100%!important;"/>

#79113 September 18th, 2006 at 01:25 AM
Joined: Aug 2006
Member
OP Offline
Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Hey Tomacco wavey
Thanks for providing live links to copper sales as well as interesting info on slugs with regard to copper wiring. I enjoyed reading the artcle as well!

TulsaRose, hello wavey
Wow, 6 ft. That's incredible. Seems your slugs didn't want to be disturbed or seen huh? laugh laugh

Well, I tried the used coffee grounds yesterday. I went out to my courtyard this morning and found more hibiscus leaves eaten. ters

#79114 September 19th, 2006 at 06:08 PM
Joined: Aug 2006
T
Member
Offline
Member
T
Joined: Aug 2006
TulsaRose, THAT is too high (like illegally high!)! Can I ask if that's the north side of your house?

Weezie, I have a good remedy for woodchucks: My dog smile Wanna borrow her?

Floweringchild, I can say that putting spent grounds around my mums has worked so far, and it brought the worms. They, in turn, attracted moles. The war is on. I do believe that spent grounds will only go on the mulch pile now... I also found the article interesting. I guess no remedy is free size (one size fits all) and we try everything we can to preserve our hard work. If our slugs were Jurassic, we wouldn't be gardening. We'd be sitting on the front porch with a rifle haha smile

#79115 September 19th, 2006 at 07:48 PM
Joined: Oct 2005
Member
Offline
Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Yes, Tomacco, that is the north side of the house. Fortunately or not, since we were in drought conditions for a year, slugs haven't been a problem this year.

In the past, I've had very good luck with a slug\snail granular repellant that I bought at Lowes. Can't remember the name of it but it certainly works! wink


Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
(Release build 20201027)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 7.3.33 Page Time: 0.024s Queries: 41 (0.012s) Memory: 0.7928 MB (Peak: 0.8837 MB) Data Comp: Zlib Server Time: 2024-03-28 22:50:19 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS