hey all
I started doing a bit of gardening last year and got quite into it, I'm a bit more experienced this year and I've got more stuff growing (vegies n berries n stuff). I'm having a huge problem with slugs and fruit flies though. Some of the fruit's are starting to ripen and already I've got loads of the little bastards all over them. I dont want to spray the fruit with anything that'll prevent me eating it. Anyone got any ideas for preventative or eradication methods?
Same goes for the slugs, they've had all my sweetcorn, half my beans, the sweet peas are suffering as are the sprouts, broccoli and carrots. Last year I tried salt with the slugs but too much of that on the soil will stop the plants growing + you get dead slug mess everywhere. I also tried leaving beer/lager out - usually the bottom dregs from unfinished cans. That seemed to work a lot - I killed many that way at least. This year though... they dont seem to be going for it. I heard that its the yeast that they go for and someone recomended yeast in water to attract/kill them - that didn't work either. I've also heard egg shells are good - I dont eat many eggs but I'm saving the shells from what I do eat, I'll give that one a go when I've got enough to put some out. Also I heard slugs wont cross copper. it has a small electrical charge apparently. Anyone know anything about this? I was thinking of putting copper rings round all the stems - or round the edges of the beds. Anyone got any ideas?
cheers all

i've got an ancient gardening book here that recommends fresh soot spread around your veggies - i might try that myself

Do you have many birds in your garden? They help a lot with slugs - put up more bird boxes boxes, food etc.
Clear up the veg. area - slugs like cover from suppresant matting, long grass etc. They've probably all moved in because you've started to grow more stuff, but nature will re-balance. Use copper piping, split down the middle, to top beds - it's the cheapest form of copper. Beer traps are good.
Spray won't help with fruit flies - they eat decomposing fruit, so don't have any around on the plants. Try and have your compost bin away from fruit growing spots.

Dry out some eggshells and crush them in a pestle and mortar, kills slugs dead Neem oil is a great pesticide, fungicide etc and is completely natural and food-safe, I would recommend picking some up, clears up most problems pretty quick, even spidermites(bastards)

It might be worth trying the copper wire thing but for other reasons, google 'electroculture' and see if you find the idea interesting

But yes, those powdered egg shells will stop slugs pretty quick




Mudkipz kill slugs

Mudkipz how do you use the egg shells once they have been ground up? can you use them the same way you would use slug pellets?

thanks for the advise

greenie

e2a: spelling

awesome advice cheers guys, I might nip over a DIY place and get some copper piping...

I thought my compost bin was maybe something to do with the flies - I dont have a big garden so there's only about 20' max distance between it and any of the plants I'll cover the mulch with a layer of earth, that may help.
I'm gonna keep going with the beer traps and I'll give the egg thing a go today, I have an echinacea in a pot that the slugs have been battling against for a few weeks now, I'll do a trial run to see how well it works How many egg shells do you need? lots or little?
I dont know where I'd get soot...(obviously from a chimney- I don't have an open fire tho) would ashes from a wood fire or bbq do the same thing?

cheers again guys