Slug Patrol

Night time has fallen on PallasGreen. Inside the fire is on, feet are up and there is a very nice bottle of vacqueyras(Vah-keh-rahss-its my french word of the day, I may never put a basic sentence together in French but put me in a french bar and watch me go!) being demolished. Ginger is rolling over for his 5th nap of the evening.

Outside nobody is napping! The slugs and snails are wide awake and hungry from another dry day keeping them in their shelters under rocks and in cool shaded areas. Now the grazing begins, so before I get too comfortable, warm or half sozzled I have to drag myself (reluctantly) into the cool still night air to go on slug patrol.

Break it up boys the spinach party is over!

It has to be done. I went out an hour ago, light on my head to check on the new seedlings in the cold frame, just in case a hungry slug or snail was knocking around. I found two feckers eating spinach and a whole army up in the hot bed devouring hyiacinth stalks! On a happier note none of them seem to have realised that lettuces and broad beans have been transplanted into the main garden yet.There wasn't a single slug to be found down there. I do like slugs but I wish they would just eat grass and leave garden plants alone.

Pink primroses are a big hit with slugs out the back garden

At home slugs would appear late at night in the back kitchen crossing the floor and climbing walls looking for food. These guys were giants, black, long and slimy with their distinctive silvery trails glinting in the light. In some ways its easier to track them at night with the lamp light reflecting back their tracks.


What do I do with the slugs and snails I catch?
Unlike Eileen who drowns them overnight in beer or kills them on sight during the daytime I just escort them to another part of the garden and let them go! I just cant kill them-I like them too much!