lindsay Posted July 25, 2020 Had some trouble with slugs last year. so I purchased some organic slug killer. when I read on the packet the active constituent was iron, something went click. I had observed when I put my mushroom off cuts on the compost heap. then look at night, the mushroom would be covered in slugs, "a real attractant". I was also aware that mushrooms accumulate heavy metals. so I added some chelated iron to some grain and inoculated with some oyster mushroom. this spawn works fresh and dried. it takes about 3 days to kill the slug, by stopping it digestion. 5 nights back i took a quick walk around the garden with the torch and easily could have counted 100+ slugs over a cm in size. so I through out some dried spawn. and last night when i took a look all I could find was some really small ones, recently hatched I guess and the few larger ones I could find seemed dehydrated. recipe- 1 gram of chelated iron per 100 grams of dry grains. mixed into the cooked grain before sterilization. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darklight Posted July 26, 2020 21 hours ago, lindsay said: recipe- 1 gram of chelated iron per 100 grams of dry grains. mixed into the cooked grain before sterilization. Whoa- lovely work, seriously impressive. Definitely warrants further investigation at other sites Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rottenjonny Posted July 27, 2020 8 hours ago, Darklight said: Whoa- lovely work, seriously impressive. Definitely warrants further investigation at other sites in a controlled environment Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lindsay Posted July 27, 2020 Yep I do agree, in a controlled environment, would be then real science. A 25 ltr bucket with a lid, some wet rocks in the bottom, so they can hide. and say 10 each, of each type of slug (I may have 3 types here) or 30 in total. a tray with some young broccoli leaves and pea sprouts. so you knew you were no starving them to death, and a tray for the bait. some observations say 2 x per day. then in 3 days do a head count of the living or dead. I do know it works myself. it just was not, until the other night did i notice the contrast in what i could see. I had seen snow peas were just busting through the ground that day. so i took a look that night. The year before they took out half of them and had to replant the gaps. this year they are up a inch and only one has been chewed at. i have be at this place for 3 years and have never know a place so chronic for slugs. the first year I squashed hundreds and getting close to a thousand. the second year i use a iron based bait i got online and this worked, but was not cheep. this year its costing me next to nothing. someone else needs to run a trial. I am just one man who is happy with a victory. if can help someone else then i may have two. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites