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Garden Gate:  If I were a pioneer I would be hungry tonight  |
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Runbikegrrl
True Blue Farmgirl
250 Posts
MaryAnn
Waterbury Ctr
VT
USA
250 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 17 2007 : 6:22:23 PM
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GRRR Slugs! Do you have slugs where you live? I'm telling you I do not like snakes but as far as I am concerned they can all move on in to my garden tonight and have a feast! I had 12 beautiful heads of red leaf lettuce when I left for Boston to see my daughter. I was only gone 26hrs ...i come home and they have wiped it out and are starting on the next variety. I had no warning their were no slugs when I left or I would have put out beer and cornmeal!
this event just reminds me how fragile this all is...if I couldn't go to the supermarket I would be without the lettuce I was counting on for the next 4 or 5 days!
"So many interests so little time!"
http://lovelifelivegrrl.blogspot.com/ |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 17 2007 : 8:20:29 PM
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I wonder if putting out cornmeal was just a standard preventative measure? It would be interesting to go back and question someone from that era to see what they did on a daily basis to protect their backyard gardens.
Alee
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - Jun 17 2007 : 10:45:47 PM
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| Western Washington is the slug capitol of the world. We garden organically, and the best way we have gotten rid of slugs is to bury a cottage cheese container up to the rim in the garden, fill it about 1/2 full of beer, cut a hole in the top of the carton and put it on tje container, (so it's flush with the dirt) The slugs smell (or sense) the beer, crawl their slimy way over to it and down into the carton and drown. At least they die happy! Worked really well for us. You just have to check the cartons periodically and dump and refill them. |
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Nance in France
True Blue Farmgirl
1438 Posts
Nancy
St. Laurent de la Salanque
France
1438 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2007 : 05:59:41 AM
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If misery loves company, then I don't feel so bad anymore! France MUST be the runnerup in the slug capital of the world because we have more slugs (pardon, "escargot") here than you can shake a baguette at! After seeing lilies and basil (gourmet slugs anyway!) munched on and other flowers eaten to bare stems, I have begun to take fiendish delight in smashing (icky, yes) as many as I see nowadays! All's fair in love and gardening I say. Definitely going to resort to the container in the ground, "beer swimming pool", you guys have described. I have known about that but never lived in an area where it was so desperately needed. All I can say is, bon appetit....chugalug you slugs! Nance
PS What is the deal with cornmeal????? |
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GaiasRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2552 Posts
Tasha-Rose
St. Paul
Minnesota
2552 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2007 : 06:05:09 AM
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Slug bread: Pour 3 1/2 Cups of lukewarm water into a large bowl and add 1 packet of baking yeast. let the yeast dissolve then add 1/4 Cup of sugar, 2 tsp salt and 4 cups of flour. mix well and let it sit for awhile while you find some empty plastic milk jugs with lids. cut a few quarter sized holes about 1/2 up their sides. pour and inch of the slug bread into the jugs and then bury the jugs so the holes are sitting just above garden level. the slugs are attracted to the smel of the fermenting dough. pour out the slug bread when it gets really disgusting (the dead attract even more than the fermenting dough does!)
From Ellen Sandbeck's "Slugbread and Beheaded Thistles". She also mentions the beer as well as squash boards (ew.) and vinegar at night time.
~*~Brightest Blessings~*~
Tasha-Rose
Blogs: http://gaiarose.wordpress.com
http://tasharose365.wordpress.com/
Homepage:
http://gaiasrose.etsy.com
http://ForestFaeries.etsy.com
Birth is safe, interference is risky; TRUST BIRTH |
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
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Runbikegrrl
True Blue Farmgirl
250 Posts
MaryAnn
Waterbury Ctr
VT
USA
250 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2007 : 06:27:37 AM
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Don't know if the cornmeal drys them out from crawling through it or eatting and drying out from the inside out but it works...so does the beer or beer and yeast but only to a certain extent...what got me this time is they came out overnite when I wasn't home!
"So many interests so little time!"
http://lovelifelivegrrl.blogspot.com/ |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2007 : 06:43:21 AM
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Slugs!!! I can't stand those things. I fight with them every year - I use the beer to get rid of them - but DH can't stand to see good beer go to waste. I'll have to try the cornmeal thing. Here in Oregon at the "Made in Oregon" store they even have little slugs made out of clay to sell to tourists, since the slug is the state "whatever" 
Anne in Portland
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" Eyeore from Winnie the Pooh
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Huckelberrywine
True Blue Farmgirl
1607 Posts
Michelle
Rosalia
1607 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2007 : 09:08:55 AM
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Does Miner's Lettuce grow in your area? We have a ton and I haven't tried it, but it looks like the slugs haven't either. My edible plants book gives it the thumbs up. I think the pioneers learned what to use that was on hand, including lots of wild greens, when things didn't go as planned.
That slugbread sounds a lot like my sourdough starter...wonder if some of that would do the same thing? Slugs and beer...kinda makes sense. :)
We make a difference. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2007 : 09:21:07 AM
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Wyoming has little bitty slugs so when I moved to the Moscow/Pullman area I really learned what slugs are ew ew ew! I know I should like them since they fit so nicely into the food chain- but they are banned from my yard and garden. I declare full out war if I see them! Gross!
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
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lamarguerite farm
True Blue Farmgirl
649 Posts
missy
Battle Ground
Wa
USA
649 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2007 : 09:22:03 AM
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The slugs seem to be worse than normal this year. They are eating things I've never seen them eat before right down to a nub!! ugh! It's so frustrating. I planted zinnia and sunflowers in my butterfly garden and there's not much left other than stems. They almost wiped out my pole beans. The list goes on...... I've been using some iron pellets that my mom gave me, but with the rain here, they seem to dissolve quickly so you have to reapply often. I'll be so glad for warm dry weather.
Blessings,
Missy
If you have a dream, even if you don't feel qualified to accomplish it, just try your hardest.-Maggie Jensen
http://18happyhens.blogspot.com
www.LaMargueriteFarm.com |
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Carol Sue
True Blue Farmgirl
4033 Posts
Carol Sue
Washingtonian
USA
4033 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2007 : 1:50:31 PM
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Good grief, it is the slug feast it sounds like. We use to live in western washingtn, now we live in eastern washington. Big difference. We used beer baits as described above, that and the salt attack when I saw them. Letting them shrivel up and die after they had eaten my flowers seemed appropriate.
Carol Sue
Life is short, enjoy every moment. |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2007 : 2:43:35 PM
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| To those of you that don't live in Western Washington, it is so bad here that some towns have Slug Festivals in the summer! |
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Runbikegrrl
True Blue Farmgirl
250 Posts
MaryAnn
Waterbury Ctr
VT
USA
250 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2007 : 3:50:05 PM
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Sherri do they sell "slug festival T-shirts"??? If they do I want one! I am headed out to do battle again tonight as soon as it gets dark! I have a board down it the garden to trap them....new "sunken tubs of beer", (looks way cooler then my silly jar lids full of beer and still have the cornmeal out there to ...after I'm done sprinkling salt those suckers are goners!
"So many interests so little time!"
http://lovelifelivegrrl.blogspot.com/ |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2007 : 11:04:57 PM
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| I'll see what I can find. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 08:54:07 AM
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Keep us updated on the Slug War! I want to know if you have gotten the little suckers because I think they might be the culprits in ruining my first set of sun flowers!!
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
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Huckelberrywine
True Blue Farmgirl
1607 Posts
Michelle
Rosalia
1607 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 09:32:12 AM
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I am just sure someone must sell banana slug t-shirts over there on the west side. Now there is an interesting critter. He'd probably tip the beer up, drink it, and slime off with a whole head of lettuce in tow.
We make a difference. |
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Runbikegrrl
True Blue Farmgirl
250 Posts
MaryAnn
Waterbury Ctr
VT
USA
250 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 2:37:58 PM
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Well, the catch was good...I only found 5 or six actually on plants and the additional damage was minimal. The beer containers each had at least a dozen victims and the cornmeal containers 4 in one and 7 in the other...guess they prefer the beer. The board has only two or three under it this morning ....tonight I forgot to stop and buy a Bud so the slugs are gonna have a treat some of my Hocus Pocus (local micro brew from Magic Hat Brewery)...it's to die for : )
"So many interests so little time!"
http://lovelifelivegrrl.blogspot.com/ |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
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Runbikegrrl
True Blue Farmgirl
250 Posts
MaryAnn
Waterbury Ctr
VT
USA
250 Posts |
Posted - Jun 20 2007 : 04:14:42 AM
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Thanks Sherri - For some reason I was thinking you were a 20 something so when I saw your "empty nest post" I was surprised...funny how we picture each other I think I am going to start a thread to help with that
"So many interests so little time!"
http://lovelifelivegrrl.blogspot.com/ |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - Jun 20 2007 : 09:04:03 AM
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| You can all think I'm a 20 something if you want! LOL |
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cinnamongirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1682 Posts
Carrie
Canada
1682 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2007 : 6:34:41 PM
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| Did yous know slugs will not cross a chalk line. Hope that helps |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2007 : 10:10:51 PM
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| Another thing I was told was that if you put a copper strip out, like on the top of a raised bed, they won't cross that either. That sounds a lot more expensive than chalk though! LOL |
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Garden Gate: If I were a pioneer I would be hungry tonight |
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If I were a pioneer I would be hungry tonight
