EVEN THOUGH recycling
is the catchword of the
nineties, [ have resisted the
temptation to exhume and
reuse one of my old articles.
I cannot deny that the im-
pending approach of the
deadline of doom has driv-
en me close to this sacrilege
on more than one occasion,
but so far, honor has
prevailed.

Or should | say ego? It is my
fear of getting caught that bothers
me most; and that presumes that
there are those of you out there
paying enough attention to these
bons mots to care.

Well, in the immortal words of
Roger Miller, ‘‘first time for
everything. Chug-a-lug, chug-a-
lug,’’ 1 am about to sin. I offer
this long rationalization 2s an ex-
cuse: This important subject war-
rants repetition and I do not think
Il can improve much upon my
previous attempt other than a few
minor modifications and inciden-
tal inclusions.

I am still amused by the phrase
“Effective against the giant slugs
of the West’? found on a par-
ticular brand of slug bait. It con-
tinues to generate visions of
screaming, scantily clad B-queens

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Why a duck?

Back to the drawing board for slug and snail solutions

in low budget, Hollywood horror
flicks and monstrous, house-sized
mollusca from hell devouring *57
Chevies and amusement parks.

Humorous as this image may
seem, the damage these
“‘monsters’? can cause as well as
their safe eradication is a worry to
us all. This, then, is a sequel to
my article which appeared in these
Pages in the spring of 1987 — let’s
call it SLUGS 1) — The Trail of
Slime.

As 1 have repeatedly suggested
in previous articles, healthy
gardens begin with clean gardens.
Retuse left lying about is nothing
more than the slug world's version
of Club Med; just the right spot
to hide away in and engage in a
little recreational breeding.

Garden rubbish is not the only
holiday haven in your garden.
Every nook and cranny should be
checked over during the winter
and early spring months. In addi-
tion to the destruction of the
adults that you may find, destroy
any of their mucous covered
clusters of large, pearl-white eggs.

Keep breeding grounds such as
the compost and piles of lumber
as far away from your susceptible
plants as possible.

You may consider them to be
Sluggards, but it is a little known
slug-fact that a slug can travel
three city blocks in a day.

There is no point in trying to

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OVER THE GARDEN GATE

con you into believing that good
housekeeping practices will solve
all of your slug and snail prob-
lems. Your effons will at best
reduce their numbers, not ward
off their appearance. When they
do show up, begin a multi-faceted
attack.

First thing 1 might suggest is
that you get a duck. Check your

municipal bylaws to see if you are
in luck with ducks. Should the law
allow, you will find these fine-
feathered friends to be fiendishly
fond of all sorts of garden pests.
In fact, two hungry ducks could
almost eliminate aii of your slugs,
snails, weevils, beetles, leather-
jackets and a host of other critters
in very short order.

if your neighbors will not put
up with the ducks and you still
find yourself in duck, or should !
say, slug soup, there are a number

of other interesting home remedies.

For an example, you could take
advantage of their penchant for
the suds. Fill an empty yogurt
container with the remains of a
stale beer (it is a capital offence to
waste a fresh one) and set into the
ground, buried to the rim.

Cut a small hole out of the lid
and cover the brew. This will keep
out any cats on the howl or any
other night prowlers that may
have a propensity for howling and
beer,

Not all slugs are alcoholics, but
they all seem to have an in-
satiable taste for the malt yeast
found in your better brands of
beer. Alcoholic or no, they can be

counted on to climb right in 10 the
ircesistible brew and drown their
sorrows (and themselves to boot)
in a hop-induced bliss.

{ hesitate to suggest that our
“giant slugs of the west’’ have
giant 1Qs, bur it does seem as
though they like to curl up vith a
copy of the North Shore News (or
some other less digestible
substitution). Lay a few copies out
at night and burn them by mid-
morning of the next day.

Thea we have the sadistic diver-
sion of pouring a lithe salt on the
beasts and watching them melt.

A two-inch wide bastier of ma-
terials such as wood ash, sawdust,
eggshells or even crushed gravel
laid down around those plants you
are trying to protect may do the
trick.

Reputably the mos: effective
barrier is a particular copper
Stripping known as ‘‘Snail Barr
Number 1."" Slugs are purported
to melt and sizzle away into obli-
vion just coming in contact with
it. The only source known to me
is: Peaceful Valley Garden &
Farm Supply, Box 2209 Grass
Valley, California, 95945.

Good hunting.

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