Which slug pellets

I not popped over to your blog for a while -sorry about that. I have experimented with many different things too. Last year I tried SlugGone -the sheep wool pellets -around my vegetables. These wool pellets worked really well! Although it was also the hottest summer for a while so…. I will use them again though.

Have you tried them? The leaves of Berberis Darwinii make a brilliant barrier. Prunings should be dried for a few weeks so the leaves fall off, making them easy to collect. A 2 or 3 inch wide barrier works very well. I grow it specifically for this purpose and also collect clippings from neighbours. It grows well in most situations and is popular with insects and birds.

Berberis Darwinii — Good plant! Chopped Gorse works too. I dont have any problem with slugs or snails. All I do is go out on damp morning in spring and collect all of them I can find and then re-home them to a nice grass verg at least a mile away. I do this for 4 or 5 days and hay-presto hardly any for the rest of the season.

Encourage birds Many birds, particularly blackbirds and song thrushes, will eat considerable numbers of slugs and snails. Providing bird boxes, winter feeding areas, trees and hedgerows, also any uncultivated areas, will all help to maintain and improve biodiversity.

Hens are also effective at cleaning up an area both pre and post harvest. Society History Trevor Taylor Mutimedia. Slug Pellets. Non-organic Blue Pellets The most popular method of slug and snail control used in the garden is slug pellets. Because of the risks to wildlife and the environment, a ban on blue metaldehyde slug pellets was announced in September Ban on the use of metaldehyde announced - Defra in the media This is applicable across the whole of Great Britain.

Ferric phosphate —this is considered to be a safe, low toxic alternative to metaldehyde. The pellets are flour-based and break down quickly. Ferric iron phosphate is found in food products. Some organisations still want more research carried out on the use. Site map.

Social Links. Registered address. Metaldehyde is a contact poison that works to protect garden plants by damaging slug mucus cells and causing them to release excessive amounts of slime to the point they eventually dehydrate and die. A ban on slug pellets containing Metaldehyde was announced in but then overturned 12 months later. Whilst the ban has been overturned, the general consensus is that they are still not a safe method for pest control.

Handling dangerous and potentially poisonous substances such as slug pellets requires caution from gardeners. However, how often do you consider the safety of other living beings that might be affected by slug pellets? We completely understand the frustration gardeners have. Slug pellets can appear striking to common pets such as dogs and cats.

Their curiosities are often explored using their mouths. Bad news, considering the formulation of slug pellets resembles that of dried cat or dog food. All of which is not ideal when slug pellets are extremely poisonous. Even just a couple of slug pellets would be enough to kill or at least cause severe illness to pets.

Despite being a threat to wildlife, slug pellets are still a popular method of gardening pest control. Birds and hedgehogs are attracted to slug pellets for similar reasons to those of domesticated pets. Because these animals tend to be smaller, even the slightest amount of exposure to the poisonous pellets cause prove fatal. Although over the years the population of slugs has increased, the population of their predators — hedgehogs, frogs and wild birds has decreased by a third since There could be several reasons for this.

However, given the dangers of slug pellets, we imagine they only contribute to the depopulation issue. The blue colour of slug pellets is used to make them unappealing to birds and other wildlife. It, in fact, does the opposite when it comes to young children and toddlers. Whether you garden at a local allotment or in your backyard, consider the chances of young children coming across slug pellets, playing with them and even potentially eating them.

This could be just as fatal as any of the above circumstances. Consider how you store slug pellets. Some safer alternatives include crushed egg shells, coffee grounds and wool pellets. However, these methods can have varying results. Envii Feed and Fortify is a natural way to protect your plants that is quick and easy to apply. It is made up of diatomaceous earth and iron silicates that work together to create an impenetrable, physical barrier around plants, whilst improving soil fertility and increasing a plants ability to absorb nutrients.

Envii Feed and Protect protects not only plants from slugs, snails and other small pests, but also improves soil fertility and improves plant growth.