I have a problem wit slugs and snail's trying to go into my hive what is a good bait to get them with
The other day I saw a slug crawling out of one of my hives. I was surprised that the girls didn't pay it any attention.
Chemicals are obviously out.
A strip of copper flashing around the bottom board may work, just from what I've heard. Another option is to put some margarine tubs around the hive, tops flush with the ground, half full of beer. Slugs fall in and drown. Stinks if you don't pitch them out every couple of days.... cheap beer is best. :-)
-T
Irwin, slugs are so nasty! Part of living where we do though! I've found em all dried out near the entrance. The tubs-o-beer work great, I call em "slug bars" don't even have to be flush, the slugs will crawl up & over to get to the beer. Just be careful not to knock em over...GROSS & Timla is right, they stink to high heaven if you don't empty regularly! :-P Ducks love slugs, munch em right down, although they are messy in a different way..I don't have ducks anymore cause I have my koi pond..J
I'll have to try the slug tubs around the garden this year. Do they have to be the large margerine tubs or can they be smaller or made of glass instead of plastic?
Quote from: SgtMaj on May 03, 2009, 05:43:41 AM
I'll have to try the slug tubs around the garden this year. Do they have to be the large margerine tubs or can they be smaller or made of glass instead of plastic?
Whatever - smaller containers will fill up more rapidly. Glass vs plastic - either will work, but I prefer plastic. Margarine, sour cream, chip dip, whatever is cheap and can be thrown away when it gets too gross.
You have to trap slugs for quite some time before you notice a big difference, as they are hatching at a pretty good clip in moist weather. I was amazed at how many I trapped.
BTW, if you have dogs, they may thank you for leaving trays of escargot out for them all the time... :-)
-T
Quote from: TimLa on May 03, 2009, 01:27:05 PM
Quote from: SgtMaj on May 03, 2009, 05:43:41 AM
I'll have to try the slug tubs around the garden this year. Do they have to be the large margerine tubs or can they be smaller or made of glass instead of plastic?
BTW, if you have dogs, they may thank you for leaving trays of escargot out for them all the time... :-)
EEWWWW! Thank goodness Maddy was never interested..now Kitty Rocca..that she goes for! Yes, the plastic are great cause you can toss em...get pretty gross after a couple of times. Yogurt cups even work, anything you have from daily life use. Glass you would have to hose off & actually TOUCH!! YUK! :-P I dump the sludge into the compost pile. If you forget where you hid the traps you will be able to find em easily by smell after a couple of weeks of warm weather! J
Another good slug trap is to take a 16oz. plastic soda bottle, cut off the top 1/3, invert that top and push it into the botton 2/3 part like a funnel, staple the two parts together, then add your own favorite cheap beer. Lay them on the ground sideways. The slugs go in for the beer, and can't get out. Kind of like a crawdad, or minnow trap. When they get full, just throw the whole kit and kaboodle into the trash. No mesh.
Quote from: rickomatic on May 03, 2009, 10:39:19 PM
Another good slug trap is to take a 16oz. plastic soda bottle, cut off the top 1/3, invert that top and push it into the botton 2/3 part like a funnel, staple the two parts together, then add your own favorite cheap beer. Lay them on the ground sideways. The slugs go in for the beer, and can't get out. Kind of like a crawdad, or minnow trap. When they get full, just throw the whole kit and kaboodle into the trash. No mesh.
That is a pretty cool idea.
Quote from: TimLa on May 04, 2009, 12:25:30 AM
Quote from: rickomatic on May 03, 2009, 10:39:19 PM
Another good slug trap is to take a 16oz. plastic soda bottle, cut off the top 1/3, invert that top and push it into the botton 2/3 part like a funnel, staple the two parts together, then add your own favorite cheap beer. Lay them on the ground sideways. The slugs go in for the beer, and can't get out. Kind of like a crawdad, or minnow trap. When they get full, just throw the whole kit and kaboodle into the trash. No mesh.
That is a pretty cool idea.
Some people anything that includes beer is a pretty cool idea. :lau:
Some people anything that includes beer is a pretty cool idea. :cheer: :cheer:
Quote from: poka-bee on May 02, 2009, 06:01:54 PM
Ducks love slugs, munch em right down...
What about chickens? I don't have a slug problem with my hives.. but they are definitely all over around here. I was sort of hoping some free ranging chickens would cut down on the slug population (mine are still too small to venture out). :-D
Chickens will do a serious number on slugs, probably close to what a duck would do.
Quote from: TimLa on May 04, 2009, 06:27:57 PM
Chickens will do a serious number on slugs, probably close to what a duck would do.
Sweet! (just what I wanted to hear!!) Now I'm going to run out to the hen-house and encourage those pullets to grow faster!! ;)
Go through your yard and collect a few slugs, throw them at the chickens, they'll figure it out real quick, especially if they're hungry.
My chickens will eat almost anything. I throw a few slugs in there, it's like sharks after a bleeding carcass.
-T
Quote from: TimLa on May 04, 2009, 06:51:40 PM
Go through your yard and collect a few slugs, throw them at the chickens, they'll figure it out real quick, especially if they're hungry.
My chickens will eat almost anything. I throw a few slugs in there, it's like sharks after a bleeding carcass.
-T
lol! I actually already tried that once but they were not very interested. I suspected it was because they were still too young (I just got the chicks ~ Easter time). Just wanted to make sure. I'll try feeding them some more very soon... also looking forward to disposal of the yellow jacket traps, etc., etc., :evil: Mini-velociraptors w/tasty eggs (what could be cooler than that? heh).