Slug Infestation

[Tally]

Does anyone else have a problem with slugs, or is it just me?

 

I've tried politely asking them to leave, but they just roll their pointy eyes at me and carry on.

 

There are often trails around the cat food bowl. Sometimes, late at night, I see the slugs there, but I don't know where they hide out during the day.

 

When I came back from holiday there were trails all over the doormat and my post. Some of the envelopes had been chewed a bit too. (Shame they didn't eat the bills.) I don't know how they got in. I certainly did not leave them a key!

 

And the final straw happened when I got in from work this morning. I forgot to clear away the cutting board from making my sandwiches, and there were trails all over the worktop and cutting board. They ate some cheese crumbs and a bit of my shopping list. (I bet you thought slugs ate leaves!!!) I don't know how the slugs knew there was food up there, but it seems a long way to travel on the off chance. And by the morning, they are gone. They have clearly covered quite a bit of ground during the night, it's remarkable considering the speed they travel at really, but I'd rather not experience this miracle on my kitchen worktops thank you!

 

I don't really want to leave pellets around the house because my cat is a bit dim and eats everything, and I rather like snails . . . if this were snails and not slugs I wouldn't mind (except maybe the worktop thing), but slugs, ugh!

[Bagpuss]

We had to rent a house temporarily once Tally, after we sold one house, and the had delays with buying our next one. We had a similar problem. We would get up on a morning, and there would be slug trails over the carpets downstairs. I never knew where they came from, and I don't think they ever went on to worktops....I hope not I never dealt with it tho, with us being there for such a short while, so can't offer any advice. Maybe you could put some pellets down, but keep your cat enclosed in one room overnight, or put your cat out for the night? May be worth giving pest control a bell, or possibly your local vets could offer advice?

[ASue67]

Can't think of any suggestions but hope you get it sorted out!!!!!!

[Bagpuss]

Beer, apparantly, is the answer Tally

 

 

Bottoms up

[Guest Lya of the Nox]

salt on the floor,

hubs did it other nite and they died well

good luck

x

[pearl]

The underlying problem might be dampness. I had a damp flat once & had slugs & silverfish.

 

You could always tame them & get them to do very slow errands for you.

[brooke]

yep salt will work we get them found a dead one the other day tried to get ds2 to put it out but to no avail My problem is i hate killing anything even a fly so i just try and get them out the house!! Dont know where they come from in ours must be a hole somewhere

[witsend]

The underlying problem might be dampness. I had a damp flat once & had slugs & silverfish.

 

You could always tame them & get them to do very slow errands for you.

 

 

Pearl that really made me laugh - thank you!!

Tally I sympathise my previous (old terraced) house had the same problem I am pretty phobic about slugs so it was miserable. Think the salt solution is a bit cruel and you may have to deal with slug ectoplasm aftermath !

Don't have a solution though cos I never did get rid of them I know they can get through the tiniest of cracks in walls and my old house was damp with silverfish too, so maybe that was it?

Really do feel for you <'>

Luv Witsend.

[Tally]

It's definitely not damp. They didn't pick damp up on the survey, and there are no signs of any dampness.

 

I didn't know they could get through really small gaps. I hope that's what they're doing, because I really don't like the thought that they are living in my house somewhere!

[lorryw]

How strange!!

I ran my sister this morning and we had a long discussion (yes, we are that sad) about the sudden influx of slugs.

I noticed loads this morning on my trip around the block with the dog and sis counted 48 her garden. They arnt little either, great fat slippery things.

We have also had the silver trail thing in the morning and never saw hide nor hair of the little b****** just the trails.

[pearl]

Aha! Its not damp, its the damp WEATHER maybe? They can travel further than usual on their slimy little tummies?

 

And while we're on about infestations, is anyone else getting loads of flies this year? They are driving me mad, & again I'm assuming its the weird weather to blame.

[Bagpuss]

Tally, they can come in via outlet pipes, air bricks, and can squeeze through very small spaces. We get lots of silverfish here. Give me the heebies, and they don't squish when you finally outrun them and whack them with a slipper, just stick two silvery little fingers up and leg it.........sorry all animal lovers

[pearl]

I once found a silverfish IN MY BED in my student flat....

*shudders*

[forbsay]

I don't like slugs at all

 

I once found this huge slug in the kids paddling pool - it looked like a snake and it had horns on it. I was screaming my head off in the garden.

 

When I was little girl, I once fed a bit of slug to my hamster and I can still remember the noise of the slug being eaten Don't know to this day why I gave my hamster a slug to eat..............

Edited August 15, 2007 by forbsay

[pearl]

You know those humungous great shiny black ones you get on compost heaps?

 

Well when I was about 8 I watched my cousin shoot one clean in half with his catapult

[Bagpuss]

http://www.cf.ac.uk/biosi/research/biodive...taff/wocs2.html

 

 

Here you go Tally....now go kick some serious slimey slug butt Do slugs have butts?

[pearl]

They also have cellulite.

[Tally]

I don't get flies because my cat eats them!

 

Maybe I can train the other one to catch slugs. He is quite old, but he might be able to outrun a slug.

[shars]

I don't get flies because my cat eats them!

 

Maybe I can train the other one to catch slugs. He is quite old, but he might be able to outrun a slug.

I think its the wet warm weather ,my 4 and 6 year old keep saying mum can we bring them in. Massive f****** things.

I have stood on one bare foot .Soft, sweasy ,brown and oh just, oh no ,big fellow now living with us her name is Rose Taylor.Tempted to bring out salt but the kids love her.XXXXXXX

[KarenT]

Beer, apparantly, is the answer Tally

Bottoms up

Yes, that's right. You drink enough of it and you don't care whether you've got a slug infestation or not.

 

Karen

x

[Bagpuss]

Yes, that's right. You drink enough of it and you don't care whether you've got a slug infestation or not.

 

Karen

x

 

Now I know why I've always liked you Karen

[Guest Lya of the Nox]

Yes, that's right. You drink enough of it and you don't care whether you've got a slug infestation or not.

 

Karen

x

 

 

 

[jb1964]

We had them once in our living room - every morning you'd come downstairs to a silvery trail on the carpet all around the tv area (corner of an alcove by the vent) - we could not find them at all.

 

Beer (or Guinness) in a saucer and then a couple of inches away on the carpet a semi circle of salt did the trick - ugh still makes my toes curl even now.....

 

Take care,

Jb

Edited August 16, 2007 by jb1964

[smiley]

*aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!*

 

Just stood on a slug in the garden when i was hanging out my washing (and yes, i am that weird that i hang it out at night... ), must, must, must remember to wear shoes when i go out there .

Ohhhhh - it's making my back shimmy evey time i think of it

 

I did do a little slug count - i had to look down to see if i'd killed a mummy slug with little baby slugs - bloomin' loads of the little things , wasn't it daddy-long-legs last year?

 

The whole worlds gone mad i tell ya'

 

You could always tame them & get them to do very slow errands for you.

 

Pearl that did make me laugh .

Think if they stand on top of each others shoulders (do they have shoulders?? ), they could reach the washing line??

[Mumble]

Think if they stand on top of each others shoulders (do they have shoulders?? ), they could reach the washing line??

Did you not know that the slug circus performs at night-time?

 

They're not only standing on each other's shoulders but the bottom ones are on motorbikes. Instead of jumping through hoops of fire they dice with death in jumping the lines of salt you humans so kindly put out to add to their evening's entertainment.

 

Whilst all that's going on, another couple are shimmying up the wall or the washing-line pole in preparation for the slug tightrope extravaganza - if you thought human tightroping was dangerous, try slimey slippery slug tighroping where the safety net - Smiley's night-time hanging of fishnet stockings - simply serves to turn you to slug mince.

 

And as for the original slugs in the house that started all this - overshoots from the slug canonball.

[pearl]

Did you not know that the slug circus performs at night-time?

 

They're not only standing on each other's shoulders but the bottom ones are on motorbikes. Instead of jumping through hoops of fire they dice with death in jumping the lines of salt you humans so kindly put out to add to their evening's entertainment.

 

Whilst all that's going on, another couple are shimmying up the wall or the washing-line pole in preparation for the slug tightrope extravaganza - if you thought human tightroping was dangerous, try slimey slippery slug tighroping where the safety net - Smiley's night-time hanging of fishnet stockings - simply serves to turn you to slug mince.

 

And as for the original slugs in the house that started all this - overshoots from the slug canonball.

 

mmm, slug mince.....

[smiley]

fishnets!

 

I know, i'll cover the washing line in teeny-tiny bits of salt - that'll spook 'em!

Or, i could fill all the socks with beer - they'll be so drunk, they'll fall off

Or, i could hide in a bush and when i think they're not looking, quickly spin the washing line around - sending them flying into someone elses garden

(Reasonably sure my neighbours think i'm nuts anyway - so i may as well go with it .)

 

Has anyone had snail races up a wall? Or is that just me and little monkey?

[Bard]

I did do a little slug count - i had to look down to see if i'd killed a mummy slug with little baby slugs - bloomin' loads of the little things

 

Sorry to bring a little biology into this, but slugs are sex-mad and hermaphrodites.

So no mummy slugs, just two who both end up as single parents after a wild night out at Mumble's Slimy Circus of Sinful Stunts.

And a few weeks later, the out-of-control offspring are behaving like typical teenagers. Eating everything in sight, eyeing up anything available and lying around for you to fall over, or step on.

 

I recycle my slugs, my council provides a service.

I collect them at dusk, or after rain. Then I put them in my green wheelie bin for garden waste.

And once a fortnight, they get composted.

[Bard]

Has anyone had snail races up a wall? Or is that just me and little monkey?

 

Well, I had to teach B to check his snail shell collection carefully for inhabitants after a Hitchcock-style encounter in his bedroom when he was 6 or 7.

Before that evening, I thought 'The Birds' was scary.