Re: Slugs and Slaters (No. 2)

At 10:15 PM -0800 28/10/98, Barry Garcia wrote:
>sean.ohara@poboxes.com,Internet writes:
>
>>Cornmeal.  Just sprinkle some around areas in which they are found.
>>They
>>little blighters eat it and it does something awful to their digestive
>>system!
>>Weird but true.
slugs or slaters?
>the cornmeal probably expands in their stomachs. Thus, rupturing it and
>causing death!
>anyways it reminds me of the old rice grains and seagull (or pigeon)
>trick (same thing happens to them too), I know its cruel and i have
>never done it (honest!) But its kinda funny (at least to me)

Do we need to kill everyting that moves in the garden?
Some slugs such as the Leopard Slugs only eat decomposing vegtable matter
and left over cat food.
I can't imagine slaters doing serious damage at all
Some  old gardening books recommend you kill the earthworms because they
poo on your lawn.
But surely we need to be a bit more tolerant in 1998?
An understanding of the lifestyle and ecology of garden bugs might helpus
more than the "spray it if it moves" mentality. It will cetainly help the
planet.
Do we know what slaters do in the environment?

Michael Bailes.
Herbarist
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