Slugs

[Green Beginnings]

I would love to hear all your tried and tested ways (organic & natural of course) of geting rid of the majority of slugs from your garden. I love Dhalias but so do the slugs. I used to go out on slug patrol every night and move them on but I'm sure they kept comming 'home'.
Any tips would be great thanks.

[Alexandra]

Get some ducks, they adore slugs :) Not sure how they feel about Dahlias though.

[Mike]

I'd love to have some ducks! do you keep ducks then or is that a comment from previous experiance?

[Alexandra]

I have been looking after someone's smallholding for a couple of weeks who has ducks. They are great, I love hearing their feet slap on the paving slabs as they excitedly run around. :)

I keep chickens myself, also very endearing birds (when the cockerels aren't in attack mode at least!).

[Andy]

Slugs are the bain of my life. bloody things are everywhere - I have had to resort to some slug pellets in the past as we were literally overrun, but i like to try natural alternatives like copper bands and we even mad a trap for them to get stuck in which worked, but we just had loads, like night of the living slug!!

Ducks would be cool, I love the way them and geese 'honk' around seemingly without a care in the world!

[slazanger]

I seem to have a nack for standing on them when bare footed and rushing about :( (eg when its starting to rain and I have my washing out)

the ones that dont get bare foot crushed usually get caught in the beer trap... pour 1/2 a pint of beer into a pint glass and stick it in the flower bed so the top of the glass is about 1/2" above the soil.. leave it a day and come back to a pint of slugs!

[Green Beginnings]

How often do you have to replace the beer and do they like a particular brand or will value beer do? we are in a recession you know and I wouldn't want to use my best ale on them!?!?!?!?

[amber organics]

Frogs love slugs also. So, for a perfect ecological balance get a small preformed pond (I recently bought one of these) and locate it near your Dahlias!

[Green Beginnings]

I do love the idea of a pond but my garden isn't very big and I still have small children to worry about. I think I'll give it another couple of years and then go for it.
I am however, chair of the school garden committee and we are about to put a pond in. I would love to see a picture of your pond and if you wouldn't mind, it would be great to hear about the planting that you have chosen as we are trying to find out which plants to buy bearing in mind that it is a wildlife pond we are aiming for.
Many thanks.

[amber organics]

It's not in yet as the garden needs to be cleared out. However, hopefully things will be sorted in the next 2 to 3 weeks. The guy who is doing the work has suggested Hostas, as both frogs and slugs love them!

Originally Posted by Green Beginnings

I do love the idea of a pond but my garden isn't very big and I still have small children to worry about. I think I'll give it another couple of years and then go for it.
I am however, chair of the school garden committee and we are about to put a pond in. I would love to see a picture of your pond and if you wouldn't mind, it would be great to hear about the planting that you have chosen as we are trying to find out which plants to buy bearing in mind that it is a wildlife pond we are aiming for.
Many thanks.