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deannatoby

Any slugs this year?

Last year I was COVERED UP in slugs. I mean we killed a couple hundred, I'm sure. Daily the two girls and I had slug hunts. Found what had to be some favored nesting sites and plants of choice for them.

This year I have not seen one...single...slug. How about you? We do have chickens that roam. They are actually pretty good on the garden. They eat my blue flax blossoms and once scratched out some seedlings to take a dustbath, but beyond that no problem. Have they eaten all my slugs, or is it a slug-free year for everybody?

Comments (7)

  • pixie_lou
    12 years ago

    I'm not noticing many slugs either. In fact I've only found one - it was in one of my seedling pots - which was on the patio, against, the house, sitting in a garden flat, up on a table. So I figure this guy had to crawl across 20' of patio, up the legs of a table, across the gardening flat, up the pot and into the plant. Knowing what he went thru - it still didn't make me feel guilty for pulling him out and stepping on him!

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    12 years ago

    I found a slug today... on my shoe, which was already on my foot. I noticed it when I was outside in the garden. I had left the wet shoes on the porch to drip dry and then put them on and didn't notice anything, but the slug was the same color as the shoe (brown) so I could have missed it.

    Being outside with both shoes laced up (sneaker-types), I started wondering if there were more slugs inside the shoe(s) all squashed up against my toes. Not wanting to take the sneakers off then, and not really wanting to know if there were squashed slugs in there, I decided to postpone the revelation and continue with my intent, which was to deal with the compost pile. I updated the compost pile, trying not to think about squashed slugs and toes, and then went inside.

    Luckily there were no slugs in the shoes, but I think I'll let wet shoes dry indoors next time.

    Claire

  • diggingthedirt
    12 years ago

    I've seen a few, but not as many as I'd expect with all the rain we had a few weeks ago. They were mainly on hydrangeas, but there are holes in some of the Ligularia dentata, so I know they're out there!

    I did apply Sluggo at the first break in the weather, after seeing the swiss cheese effect on the ligularia.

  • gardenweed_z6a
    12 years ago

    Not as many this year for sure but I sprinkled crushed eggshells around all my hostas and other shade plants early in May as a defense after seeing all the damage they did last year. I found one on the bottom of a potted plant as I tipped it over to get it out of the pot & into the hole I dug for it. We've had way more rain this year so I would have expected to see more of them instead of less. The sawfly larvae decimated a few of my columbines but they're blooming like crazy despite having no leaves. Another thing I've noticed is there don't seem to be as many red lily leaf beetles this year compared to last year. Maybe our extremely long, cold and snowy winter affected those as well as us humans.

  • scpearson
    12 years ago

    ONE! Now deceased.
    Am always on the look out. Maybe we'll have a little luck this year.
    Susan

  • bill_ri_z6b
    12 years ago

    I've seen fewer in most of the garden, but may be because I've had major changes out there. Large areas that had rotting railroad ties and 'grass' are now paved and secured with masonry walls and steps. However, in the new planter, which is totally surrounded by the new walls, steps, patio and terrace (all paved/stone) they have apparently decided that my gorgeous coleus are their salad bar! There were dozens, all small, ten or fifteen every day. I started trying to hand pick them, then went on nightly forays with the salt shaker, but the onslaught continued. I applied Sluggo yesterday and so far have not seen any slugs or snails.

  • squirejohn zone4 VT
    12 years ago

    Nary a one. Quite a few snails but no slugs.