Organic slug pellets?

[starlight]

I have put some down, even though the makers claim the pellets dont harm wildlife, I am worried in case I have been really stupid in using them.

Shall I go and pick them out? Or are they safe as claimed?

[ron1863]

I would imagine that they are safe or the manufacturers could get sued if they harm any wildlife

[Mercadante]

Some metaldehyde-based slug pellets claim to be 'wildlife-friendly' - because they have something added to them to deter animals from eating the pellets. However Hedgehogs (etc) can still eat the poisoned slugs. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society recommends you don't use them, though the manufacturers claim there's no risk to Hedgehogs if you use the pellets as sparingly as the instructions say.

Ferrous sulphate-based slug pellets are supposed to be safe, I think.

[Kayleigh]

I never use them, live and let live I say.
I love watching the birds, frogs, toads ect eating the slugs knowing they will be safe. I do get annoyed when my hosters get eaten.

[bleeper]

If you have one of those chimnea burners, I find that woodash around the plants helps alot.

[stripee]

Organic slug remedies are quite expensive and not always effective. I think they can be a waste of money. Although I don't know if they are positively harmful. I agree about the ash working, but, for example, I had to cover the leaves of courgettes as well which meant they couldn't function properly in their dusty state. In the end, the only things that have worked for me, are copper tape around the pots or woody stems of selected precious plants (would be too expensive to use extensively) and most effective of all, soon after dusk, with a torch, go and pick off the snails and slugs and then transfer them somewhere else far away. A combination of barrier methods and physical removal seems to help to limit the damage.

[Kayleigh]

I saw the other day about a garlic wash.
You boil some garlic then let it cool and keep it in a container. Then add a 1 tbsp to a watering can of water, then just splash the plants and let the liquid dry on the plants. This keeps the slugs off. Cheaper and organic.

[galanthus]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I never use them, live and let live I say.
I love watching the birds, frogs, toads ect eating the slugs knowing they will be safe. I do get annoyed when my hosters get eaten.

Me too, after an initial population burst when I began growing stuff in the garden I found nature takes care of them via frogs etc. Get yourself a Hedgehog from animal rescue

[demicav]

Always interesting to hear about natural ways to avoid slugs. Mind you I leave them to it, they don't bother me at all. My garden is overgrown and full of wildlife, that's how I like it. Hedgehogs and Slow Worms are natural predators of Slugs so it seems to me that they should be encouraged into the garden which they definately won't be if pellets are put down. In fact Slug pellets can cause agonizing deaths in Hedgehogs so I stay well clear, in fact I can't say they would be beneficial to anything other than the plants and there are other interesting ways to protect them.

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I saw the other day about a garlic wash.
You boil some garlic then let it cool and keep it in a container. Then add a 1 tbsp to a watering can of water, then just splash the plants and let the liquid dry on the plants. This keeps the slugs off. Cheaper and organic.

How come my garlic gets eaten by slugs/snails? Is it, perhaps, just some slug species that are deterred?

[Paul mabbott]

Can you tell us more about the 'organic' slug pellets. There are several killers/deterrents marketed as 'organic' and I think some of us might be talking about different things.

Originally Posted by starlight

I have put some down, even though the makers claim the pellets dont harm wildlife, I am worried in case I have been really stupid in using them.

Shall I go and pick them out? Or are they safe as claimed?

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

How come my garlic gets eaten by slugs/snails? Is it, perhaps, just some slug species that are deterred?

I have never tried the garlic wash. I'm too lazy for that So I don't know if it works.
A torch at night works, you just pick them off then squash and feed to tadpoles

[2dogs2000]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I have never tried the garlic wash. I'm too lazy for that So I don't know if it works.
A torch at night works, you just pick them off then squash and feed to tadpoles

I had to laugh at your response as I have read a few of your posts. If you don't like or want something in your garden you are always squashing them. I think lily beetles was the last one. You say you are too lazy to try the garlic wash but you must spend hours squashing this and that.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by 2dogs2000

I had to laugh at your response as I have read a few of your posts. If you don't like or want something in your garden you are always squashing them. I think lily beetles was the last one. You say you are too lazy to try the garlic wash but you must spend hours squashing this and that.

That's the fun bit. I only squash slugs and snails to feed the taddys..

Oh and I squashed two lilly beetles today Eating my lily's is a big NOOO NOO
Everything else get left for the birds.

[starlight]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Can you tell us more about the 'organic' slug pellets. There are several killers/deterrents marketed as 'organic' and I think some of us might be talking about different things.

Yes of course Paul, this is what they say.

Made by 'Growing Success' advanced slug killer. Certified for organic use. Contains Ferric Phosphate. It states the pellets do not pose any risk to children or pets. Embarrassingly it does not say anything about wildlife...........I feel very sick and angry with myself for taking the word of a friend instead of finding out first.

I guess the next job is to go and remove the bait asap.

I feel a fool, but I am so glad I posted this as I probably would have taken it for granted having been told it was ok.

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by starlight

I guess the next job is to go and remove the bait asap.

I feel a fool, but I am so glad I posted this as I probably would have taken it for granted having been told it was ok.

As you say, the chemical is a combination of Iron and Phosphate. The iron seems to be the toxic element. Once the Iron and Phosphorous become less combined, the way that the iron acts seems to be... unplotted.

I am really not a very twitchy person about this kind of thing, but I wouldn't use slug pellets unless it was my only option.

Like slugs getting my Lady's Slipper Orchid plants. And we all have that problem.

[pressld2]

Just done a Google search for 'Growing Success advanced slug killer' and found The Online Gardener - Product Details. It says:

"It will only kill slugs and snails. There is no secondary poisoning of birds or hedgehogs etc. and they are completely safe even if they eat the pellets so long as the product has been used as directed."

Two notes of caution though: First the site is selling the product so it's an advert (and the fact that it's illegal to state things in adverts that are not true doesn't stop it from happening). Second, "so long as the product has been used as directed" are Weasel words if ever I heard them. Translation: "If your Hedgehog dies it's your fault for not following the instructions"!

If it's true that Hedgehogs can safely eat the pellets with no ill effect than it's a little difficult to imagine how they could become dangerous through mis-application.

Dave P.

[coasty]

I have been using soot to deter slugs for the last 40 yrs it certainly works and is eco friendly.. Try and fiind some maybe be worth ringing your local chimney sweep...

[hobble]

The slugs have just eaten my sunflowers, I hope they enjoyed them. Best thing to do is avoid plants that slugs like then you can avoid treating them as pests.I used to hate gardening for people who used slug pellets and have to see dead snails and slugs and slime everywhere.

[starlight]

I have definatly used them as per instructions, the ONLY reason for using them at all is the amount of eggs I have seen in the soil from the very summer we had last year.

My garden is my allotment, that we run on a shoestring. I just cant afford to waste money on seed and all the time it takes to grow a crop for it to be decimated by slugs and snails in one night. I have been organic for many years and hate to use even these pellets, I am not trying to justify using them as they are not cheap.

But those were the reasons for putting them down in the first place. I have removed them now and am relying on my other organic methods.

Thanks to everyone for their input


BTW Dave, thank you for the information, I never thought to do a google on the product.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by pressld2

If it's true that Hedgehogs can safely eat the pellets with no ill effect than it's a little difficult to imagine how they could become dangerous through mis-application.

Dave P.

i would imagine that its a dosage issue - ferric phosphate wont harm a hog which eats one or two pellets (or dead slugs) however if you have exceeded their directions in how much to use and thus have lots of dead slugs arround for hedgie to find as he pootles about your garden there is a good chance that it will build up in his blood to the point where it will give him kidney failure.

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by eeyore

i would imagine that its a dosage issue

Thanks Pete, that makes sense.

Dave P.

[witham]

if you put cat litter around your fave plants they don't like it as it's supposed to dry their slime up or sprinkle gravel or grit around as they find it very uncomfortable to slither over, or you could let them have a sluggy happy hour and use the old fashioned remody of the beer bath, it will kill them but they won't care nor will it hurt the things that could eat them as long as they can fly or walk in a straight line afterwards

[starlight]

Slug pub's open lads.....said the snail!!