What do you do about slugs? Do you have a major problem or so few you haven't noticed them?

I always used Sluggo but if it's a small problem and you can find them away from the plants you can pour plain table salt on them and it will kill them instantly


MollyD

I douse my plants with a solution of 1 part ammonia:15 parts water. I tend to pour it around the base of the plant rather than right on the leaves. You can go as strong as 1:10, but the weaker solution seems to work OK and the ammonia goes farther.

Last year, however, I'm convinced that at least half of the damage to my hostas was done by earwigs. They can be trapped or dispatched with soap solution 1:40.

I put out shallow containers down into the soil under my Hostas that the slugs are eating, and fill with beer. I use the cheapest beer I can find, and I have dead bloated, floating slugs in the morning. I also try to keep the mulch back away from the crowns, so they can't hide in it. Seems to work for me...

I'm thinking my dogs would LOVE the beer...can't have them happier than me!

Yes, some dogs do love a good cold one! I did also have some explaining to do when my neighbor saw me out in my garden with all the beer

I saw a picture online once on how to make a slug trap using a liter pop bottle. Kinda like the roach motel. They can get in but they can't get out. Might have to go looking for that.

There is a young man here in SE MN that told me about the liter or 20oz pop bottle.... but I cant for the life of me remember what to put inside of it? Do you remember what goes inside to attract them?

I collect egg shells all winter in the freezer. Take them out and put in the food processor with water and grind them fine. Then I pour them around the hostas.

SO the little slugos dont like the rotten egg smell? or are they like needles and they cant slide over them? Do tell!!!

like needles, cuts their bodies and kills them. d. earth also does the same thing.

Very cool -- I will have to try that! I have WAY too many of those slimey things slithering around!

It works for me and i am just south of you.

Don't know if anybody's still watching this, but I'm having trouble with something eating my hostas. I have Sluggo plus in traps that catches only roly polies. I put beer in a bowl and caught only flies. If it's not bugs or snails what else is there?

Any furry critters sneaking in? Or caterpillars eating the edges? What kind of bugs do you have down there in Texas??

We have roly pollies ( or maybe called sow bugs?) and earwigs. I find the earwigs when I move one of my pots or when I take something out of a pot. I haven't been digging up too many things that are in the ground although I need to start doing that soon. It's been so dry that there haven't been a lot of any kind of bugs yet in shady spots but I am seeing holes in the leaves. In sunny spots I know I have japanese beetles on my roses. At least I guess they are japanese. They haven't spoken yet, but they sure are eatin' a lot. I bought some Spinosad today but haven't sprayed it yet. Once in a while I see caterpillars, but not many. The grasshoppers I expect will start eating everything in sight soon. And then there's the deer. They even eat the victoria phlox. Last year they ate the water lilies.

What kind of holes in your hostas? Round ones or ragged ones? in the middle of the leaf or on the edge??? Earwigs can be destructive little guys...

Well there are holes in the middle and on some it looks like something has been chewing on the edges. I was reading something called the Tx Bug Book today because I garden organically and according to what I read earwigs shouldn't be a problem. I have noticed white bugs under the leaves. Can't remember if that's white flies or mealy bugs. I see those every year though and I can't remember what kind of damage they cause. I have been checking at night for snails and haven't seen any. Today though I did see 6 huge snails on one of my crinums. We got a little rain today, so I guess that's why. DH thought it might be grasshoppers, but I haven't seen many of those yet either.

Yeah, I know the books always tells you that Earwigs "shouldn't" be a problem. But trust me, they can be a problem. Nasty little creatures. Anyway, I'm sure you'll eventually find out who the main culprit is doing the damage.

I also had some slug and snail problems in my hostas. Had handpicked the bigger ones, then sprinkled table salt on them. My hubby thinks I am too harsh on the critters, but they really can demolish my hostas, and other plants. I always do spot inspection in my garden especially when it seems cool and damp. I guess once you have these critters, even if you catch most of them, they have already put some newbie eggs in the soil and sure enough, something will be munching on the poor leaves.

I have just also started putting finely crushed eggshells around the plants and some leftover coffee beans, keeping fingers crossed that it will help somehow. Well it is now late spring, and as it goes warmer, hopefully a lot less of these slimy critters..