Hello, I am wanting to find out about nematodes and whether they are a good way to get rid of slugs?
I am involved with a horticultural project that encourages people with mental health problems to get involved in gardening and use green spaces. We have two massive allotments and this year we are really struggling to keep our crops safe from a very persistent slug population! We usually just remove them by hand and accept some limited damage but they currently seem more destructive than ever. We never use pesticides on our plots and someone has suggested the use of nematodes to solve the problem. I am not sure!! What do you think?
All the best,
Hi Alison,
I have never used nematodes personally but they do appear to work. However, words of warning: They are not cheap their effect only lasts for about a month. Over a season this could make expensive vegetables.Furhermore, being alive, you have to use them almost as soon as you get them. I will be doing a peice on slug and snail control: the multipronged approach shortly so keep your eyes on this space. Best of luck with your allotment project; you will need lots of patience.
eggs and chili
crushed egg shells around the plants could help, saw dust or wood ash, too.
you can make a spray from chili...be careful though!!!
chickens
A neighbour said that chickens are great for keeping slugs down but how practical they would be on an allotment I have no idea. they eat earthworms too so maybe not the best form of pest control.
If it were feasible you can get ex-battery chickens from the Battery Hen Welfare Trust - bhwt.org.uk
beer
Following from my last comment on chickens I've since discovered that slugs like beer but instead of a hangover it kills them. The suggestion is to bury a yoghurt pot or the like 2/3 into the ground and add some lager. The slugs will crawl in but never come out.