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garden slugs

PostPosted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 12:16 pm
by scripta_elegans
I won't feed these to the kids intentionally, but they do seem to appear in the pond rather frequently. I do get them out, but does anyone know if they are toxic in and of themselves? I have found tons if info on how horrid the poison is that peple use to kill them, but my yard is pesticide/herbicide free. Do I still need to worry? Will it hurt them if they happen to get one that I missed?

PostPosted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 2:02 pm
by marisa
I've read of people giving their turtles slugs. I can't remember if it was RES or not, but I can't see why a stray slug that's free of pesticides/herbicides would hurt them.

I imagine using pesticides would be to eliminate a large number of them. I've done away with individual ones by putting some salt on them (they fizz away, kind of like the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz :D).

PostPosted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 12:13 pm
by scripta_elegans
I'm melting! Melting! Thanks Marisa!

PostPosted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 12:36 pm
by TheComputerGremlin
For some reason, maybe just tales told to scare children into not eating them, I was under the impression that they contained poison that was harmful at least to humans and maybe dogs. I mean, obviously you can't patrol the pond constantly, and if the turtle has eaten a few and survived, no harm I guess.

And I think, sad as it is to watch, the only pesticide-free way to rid your yard of some of them at least is salt.

PostPosted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 1:30 pm
by Take-One
I used to feed my tuts that. It didn't harm them at all.

PostPosted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 6:52 pm
by imderanged
I have heard leaving out shallow pans of beer will also et rid of slugs. They like beer aparently, but when they crawl in they drown.

PostPosted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 7:36 pm
by Tenodera
imderanged wrote:I have heard leaving out shallow pans of beer will also et rid of slugs. They like beer aparently, but when they crawl in they drown.


But that would attract a whole lotta other bugs, including wasps...