Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site mhuxd.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!cca!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!houti!hogpc!houxm!mhuxa!mhuxm!mhuxd!dthk From: dthk@mhuxd.UUCP Newsgroups: net.garden Subject: Re: Slugs Message-ID: <77@mhuxd.UUCP> Date: Thu, 9-Jun-83 09:35:49 EDT Article-I.D.: mhuxd.77 Posted: Thu Jun 9 09:35:49 1983 Date-Received: Fri, 10-Jun-83 14:11:24 EDT Organization: Bell Labs, Murray Hill Lines: 14 The slugs are bad in N.J. this year too, probably because of all the rain. After the same experience as rocksvax!reno (I lost a whole crop of zinnia seedlings in one night), I tried the poison pellets (Ortho Bug-Geta) too. Result: the slugs just detoured around them and went on their merry way. The best attack seems to be a trip to the garden at night with a flashlight and a salt shaker. Two or three grains of salt on a slug will rapidly demolish it. If you are careful to pick them off first and not use too much salt, you will probably not poison the soil and/or plants. There is also a spray but it's pretty powerful stuff and NOT for use on food crops. I tried it in a limited way on marigolds and zinnias (well removed from my vegetable garden) and it seems to work reasonably well. My nightly "slug haul" has gone from 20-30 to 3-4/night. Don Hawkins BTL-MH