This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: Bats and slug bait

I have also had a terrible time with slugs, although from the sounds of
things not quite as bad as you.  I've been trying various things in an
effort of stop them.  My latest solution, which seems to be working so far,
is a combination approach.  I have put copper film (bought at a local
nursery) around the plants that the slugs have been attacking.  That has
prevented more slugs from entering that area.  (It also keeps existing
slugs _in_ the area, BTW).  Both inside and outside that edging I've put
beer traps.  You can use soup cans, I use some leftover pottery from a
ceramics class.  Just bury the can up to the rim in the ground and mostly
fill with beer.  The slugs do seem drawn to the beer.  At any rate, I also
go out and check the garden at least twice a day - once in the morning just
before I go to work and once at night when the slugs are most active.  I
check all of the traps, helping any slugs I find into the traps.  I also
check all of the susceptible plants.  Sounds time consuming, but after an
initial big catch of slugs, things seem to have settled down.  I still find
them, so I still do my routine, but plant damage is definitely way down.
BTW, I have noticed very few pests other than slugs in the beer traps.
Hope this is helpful.


- Vickie
Maryland, zone 7


>I have been having a heck of a time with slugs in my garden. I prefer to
>usually do the salt shaker trick, but this year they are REALLY bad and are
>eating everything. So I gave in and put out bait.
>
>Now I feel awful. This afternoon I found a little brown bat hanging on the
>side of the garage right above the slug bait with bait on him. I don't
>know, but I feel that he is probably ill from ingesting bait (why else
>would he be hanging on the garage in broad daylight). Does anyone know if
>bats eat slugs? This is the second bat I've found in the yard so I guess we
>must have a colony nearby. I spritzed the little fella off (to remove as
>much poison as I could) and carefully (without touching him) moved him into
>the garage where it is dark and he is safe from the cats.
>
>So now my question is, slugs...what to do with an infestation that will NOT
>endanger the other wildlife.
>
>And please, don't lecture me on using poisons...I know, I know...but let me
>tell you. I have lost an entire sunflower garden, all of my first lettuce
>crop, and a great deal of other things to them. I guess I was getting
>desperate.
>
>
>Tory Klementsen       | Yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow only a vision
>tory@eskimo.com       | but today, well lived, can make every yesterday a
>www.eskimo.com/~tory  | dream of joy, and every tomorrow a vision of hope
>
>***************************************************************************
>To unsubscribe, send to: listserv@umslvma.umsl.edu
>the body message: unsubscribe sqft
>See http://www.umsl.edu/~silvest/garden/sqft.html for archive, FAQ and more.

***************************************************************************
To unsubscribe, send to: listserv@umslvma.umsl.edu
the body message: unsubscribe sqft
See http://www.umsl.edu/~silvest/garden/sqft.html for archive, FAQ and more.
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index