I’ve developed a bit of a slug problem in my worm farm. Everytime I open the lid there are a couple stuck on the walls around the top. I’ve been picking them off (with a trowel – they’re gross) and then squooshing them on the pavement, but I’m getting tired of it. I saw “Slug and Snail Repellant” in the gardening section at Kmart but I’m worried it might hurt the worms. Does anybody have any suggestions beyond the old standby of drowning them in beer?
Tricia
September 22, 2003 — 4:23 pm
What’s wrong with the beer bait? You’ve got to have the occasional less-than-optimal homebrew batch around the house (or leftover keg beer from party or leftover cheap cans, etc). The slugs are happy in the beer, the Snook is happy with beer being enjoyed, you’re happy with the slugs out of your plants, etc. Everyone wins!
Kris
September 22, 2003 — 4:32 pm
Yeah, I think we’re going to try that. I’m just worried that I’ll only be *controlling* the slug population and not getting them before they breed. But it’s worth a shot I guess!
Kristen
September 22, 2003 — 4:35 pm
hrm. beer for slugs? sounds like a waste of good alcohol to me. :o)
Major
September 22, 2003 — 5:44 pm
Salt salt salt. Melt ’em down. It so much fun to watch.
Kris
September 22, 2003 — 11:43 pm
I salted the last batch at the old house, which is always fun. These new ones I whacked in half with the trowel, which was mega-nast. They kinda spurted and then kept wiggling. Come on, doesn’t Reckitt-Benwhatever have some practical solution for this type of problem? 🙂
Steve
September 23, 2003 — 2:33 am
Blackadder: “You don’t look like Charlie Chaplin, Baldric. You don’t have a moustache.”
Baldric: “No, Sir. But I have this – a dead slug.”
Anonymous
September 23, 2003 — 4:03 am
Petrol and a match….does the job for me!!!
Max
September 23, 2003 — 2:53 pm
I have nothing useful to add, but I wanted to mention that I just salted my first slug I’ve seen since I bought the house (we had a long day of heavy rain today, so I guess that brought them out). I used kosher salt instead of plain table salt–I like to think Martha Stewart would have been proud… 🙂
Kevin
September 24, 2003 — 4:33 am
I had a war against the slugs in my first NYC apartment. It involved setting traps with beer and defending key tactical zones (my bed, for example, which was a mattress on the floor) with perimeters of salt.
Kris
September 24, 2003 — 10:41 am
We used the “perimeter of salt” defense in our kitchen at the old house and it was fairly successful. Luckily the only ones I’ve seen so far at the new place are the ones in the worm farm, which suggests that we brought them over with us and the buggers are breeding in there.
Holli
September 28, 2003 — 2:49 pm
Brian and I have had worm farms in the past, and we’ve found that slugs won’t climb on copper, so if you put a copper band around the outside of the bin, the slugs won’t climb on it. Also, rumor has it that they don’t like to climb on anything rough (like sandpaper), so that might work, too, but we haven’t tried that. Hope this helps!
Kris
September 28, 2003 — 5:58 pm
Thanks! Good ideas…
brigita
September 29, 2003 — 1:31 am
i had a recent outbreak of flies in my worm farm…i feel like such a bad worm mom! 🙁
Tricia
September 29, 2003 — 3:15 am
You guys aren’t doing a good job of selling the worm farm concept. I’d been thinking about getting one… 😉
Kris
September 29, 2003 — 11:22 am
Well, in my case it’s just because I’m a bad worm mom too. I don’t feed them on a regular schedule and I probably don’t do all the proper maintenance you’re supposed to do. That’s the beauty of the worm farm, though. They pretty much take care of themselves. I had to have somebody feed our fish while we were away on holiday, but the little wormies were fine. I like having self-sustaining pets. 🙂