Another random q! Slugs!

[poiuytrewq]

You people are good brains to pick! Answer me this one.....

We have a big open fronted shed/barn. In it apart from farm stuff is stored my hay, lorry etc then I have a wall along which is my feed bins and a few of those plastic garden storage cupboards and a old chest freezer for storage.
The past month all my stuff everyday is covered in slug slime. I’m having to cover my feeds which I’ve always made up and left ready for the morning but now it’s all slimy, the feed in my bins is covered, rugs in my cupboards. The only safe place is the freezer.
I thought slugs just ate plants and lived outside so what’s the attraction with my stuff?!! I thought about putting some slug pellets round but have cats, one in particular who lives in the shed.
Why are they hounding me like this?!

 

[Berpisc]

Can't abide slugs. I don't know whether it is practical, but you can get copper tape from Wilkinsons which acts well as a repellant. It comes like sellotape so you stick it on the outside of eg a feed bin. I have used it for growing tubs and also we used it in the door frame of a conservatory at work (slug invasions were not popular). It works quite well. Other than that, not sure.

 

[twiggy2]

Pour salt in doorways and other places they are coming in, if you pour it in a thick line it won't be a robe for the cats.

 

[splashgirl45]

they are attracted to dark damp places, when i had damp problems in my last house the floor came up to get it sorted. well a couple of slugs managed to get in and i found slug trails on the new wooden floor and had to turn the room upside down and eventually found them under the sofa, ugh!!!!!! salt will kill them and i would do as twiggy2 says, the cats shouldnt be interested...

 

[Bradsmum]

They also don't like peppermint oil.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Copper tape or copper mesh; you can buy it from garden centres, Wilko and from Amazon.

Apparently, when a slug tried to cross the copper tape is generates a small electric current that the slug doesn't like, and so it turns away.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Raw wool is a good deterrent also, they don't/cant slide over it.

 

[Kaylum]

Slug pellets should be banned they kill hedgehogs who eat slugs please do not use them. Instead encourage hedgehogs buy a nesting box which is cat proof and start putting hedgehog food in it. They also require a dish of water as get thirsty. I have rescued a few little hoglets this summer and have adults coming to eat in the garden every night. Do not feed them milk, bread or mealworms. Non fish flavoured jelly cat food, cat biscuits or hedgehog food is the best encourage them and your slugs will soon be gone.

If you dont get hedgehogs get a dish and put a can of bitter beer in it the slugs love it and it kills them.

 

[dogatemysalad]

Slugs like dark, damp, mouldy places, so if feed is spilled and becomes mouldy, it'll attract them.
Although, I'm no fan of slugs, death by salt is a pretty nasty way to kill them. If you know a friendly coffee shop, give them a container and ask for their used coffee grounds which slugs hate and will make them retreat.

 

[Cortez]

It's apparently a bumper year for the slimy gits, they're everywhere!

 

[Goldenstar]

Copper tapes works .
But my OH gets up a night and hunts them down
There’s masses of slugs and snails this year

 

[Rowreach]

Please don't kill them! They are very important creatures. As above, encourage hedgehogs who love to eat them (once they've wiped the slime off them - yes, really) or use a deterrent, but please don't kill them, they are really useful.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I hate slugs but don’t really like to kill anything! The copper tape and similar ideas sound the way to go.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Slugs like dark, damp, mouldy places, so if feed is spilled and becomes mouldy, it'll attract them.
Although, I'm no fan of slugs, death by salt is a pretty nasty way to kill them. If you know a friendly coffee shop, give them a container and ask for their used coffee grounds which slugs hate and will make them retreat.

I don’t no, however my friend keeps the worlds coffee trade going single handedly and it’s only a smallish area I’m bothered about so will get her o side aswell!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Please don't kill them! They are very important creatures. As above, encourage hedgehogs who love to eat them (once they've wiped the slime off them - yes, really) or use a deterrent, but please don't kill them, they are really useful.

Genuine interest, what are they useful for? As far as I can see they are horrid little creatures who devastate crops and gardens!
I’m pretty ignorant to such things so real question!

 

[windand rain]

We ha

Raw wool is a good deterrent also, they don't/cant slide over it.

we have a bag of daggings round all my pots slugs and snails dont cross it they provide food for lots of animals and birds Hedgehogs do not eat many they prefer worms and insects to slugs and snails and will only eat them as a last resort. Frogs,toads and thrushes love them

 

[ester]

They climb up my walls (and my windows I have had fabulous slime trails on it!) so ground-based methods copper etc won't thwart them. The last few nights they have been munching on the G.pigs left over melon so I'm wondering whether feeding them away from what I'd rather they left along might work! lol

 

[dogatemysalad]

Genuine interest, what are they useful for? As far as I can see they are horrid little creatures who devastate crops and gardens!
I’m pretty ignorant to such things so real question!

They are a food source for many animals, birds and crawlies. They also clear up rotting vegetation and their poo is good for fertilizing the soil. They may be ugly and slimy, but like snails, they are an essential part of the food chain.

 

[Rowreach]

Genuine interest, what are they useful for? As far as I can see they are horrid little creatures who devastate crops and gardens!
I’m pretty ignorant to such things so real question!

As dogatmysalad says above

But as well as that they are fascinating creatures, the way they live/move/procreate. I spend a lot of time showing them to small children

 

[D66]

Ducks eat slugs and snails all day.

 

[poiuytrewq]

As dogatmysalad says above

But as well as that they are fascinating creatures, the way they live/move/procreate. I spend a lot of time showing them to small children

Fair enough! I just think they are gross 😂 I’m happy with most creatures. Rats, snakes spiders not bothered!
Tbh I’m not bothered about the slugs I just found it weird they have suddenly moved into my feed area and don’t really want trails over everything I own. I’d not ever intentionally go out of my way to hurt anything just hopefully encourage them elsewhere!

 

[satinbaze]

I’ve just ordered a spray product that apparently makes plant leaves taste horrid to slugs and snails. They claim nothing is killed just deterred so safe for all animals and birds. Probably not the answer for OP situation but interesting for gardeners
www.grazers.co.uk

 

[Keith_Beef]

Ducks eat slugs and snails all day.

I thought they ate worms...

 

[D66]

When we had a couple of ducks in the garden our hostas were perfect. Unfortunately ducks are also part of the food chain, they were eaten by the fox.
Now our hostas are in tatters.