Forum Topic

I Have A Slug!!

No it isn't a new pet, I know I'm weird but not that weird. It has taken up residence somewhere in my hall because every morning this week I've had a silver trail all over the carpet, but I can't find the slimy little sod. I can't put down slug pellets in case Lilypuss tries to eat them, and beer in a jar isn't an option either because she would just knock it over. Is there an organic method I can use to catch it?

Sue Hammond ● 2735d18 Comments

We got one in our conservatory the other week. You just have to follow the trails. We found him (her??) under a plant pot. Yuck!

Jonathan Callaway ● 2735d

Slug pellets are a bad idea in case other wild life, such as hedgehogs, eat them.(Not that we've seen any 'hogs in Disraeli Road/East Putney area since the disruption caused by the Putney Plaza development.)https://thehedgehog.co.uk/feeding-hedgehogs/slugs-and-snails/

Michael Ixer ● 2735d

I've already tried that Jonathan. The funny thing is that it only slides about in one place and doesn't go further down the hall and into the kitchen, which is odd. I even put down a dish of cat biscuits hoping it would be attracted to them, but no luck. Perhaps I should buy a lettuce and put a couple of leaves in the hall, and then get up in the middle of the night to try and catch him chomping on them?

Sue Hammond ● 2735d

Mice can eat slugs.Cats can kill mice.

David Ainsworth ● 2735d

I had a mouse last year but I protected it from my cats because I didn't want them to torture it. Mr Mouse disappeared after I bought two electric sonic deterrent thingies.

Sue Hammond ● 2735d

"Mr Mouse disappeared after I bought two electric sonic deterrent thingies."The arms race never ends.How about using salt to create stop-lines which might limit the slug's wanderings, and make him/her (are they?) only go where you allow. At least it might prevent trails on the carpet.------------------------Crikey, I just Googled. Slugs can live up to 6 years! They probably learn some tricks in that time.

David Ainsworth ● 2735d

Upside down empty grapefruit half used to be the thing to use outdoors.  I expect you could try other citrus and indoors.  I thought they liked the damp and wet - and yes they do come out at night.  You might catch them accidentally at some ungodly hour and notice it if you pad around in bare feet!

Philippa Bond ● 2735d

*The arms race never ends.* LOL

Lucille Grant ● 2735d

@Michael"(Not that we've seen any 'hogs in Disraeli Road/East Putney area...)"Strangely I've not seen any 🦔🦔 in my hall either Michael ...😉

Sue Hammond ● 2735d

Hi Philippa, thanks for the tip. I'll get a grapefruit and give that a go. If the vile thing ignores that and the lettuce I hope it starves to death.

Sue Hammond ● 2735d

Can I suggest you give your slug a nickname, Sue? Perhaps Nigel? His namesake is ubiquitous, so that will make him easy to find.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 2735d

Sammy, Saul, Solomon, Sebastian, the possibilities are endless.  We used to have a squirrel in the roof in a run down old houseshare I lived in years ago.  He was called Eric.

Bunny Payne ● 2735d

I think Nick you’ll find Sue is a good deal fonder of that person than you are!  Perhaps Jeremy (assuming it believes in similarly catastrophic outcomes for all slugs?).  If going for politicians wasn’t it Kenneth Clarke who had a slug as his spitting image character back long ago?

Mike Warman ● 2735d

You can't wish that because, as you said before, 'They are all Gods creatures'. Though I do agree that that noble sentiment can be strained in the case of slugs. Not sure if we are supposed to kill them or not now?

Jane Carter ● 2735d

Slugs, yuk!  I trod on one when I was barefoot in the garden.  Makes me heave to think about it.If you can’t think of a better name, then how about Sluggy  McSlugface.

Martine Guy ● 2735d

Thanks for all the name suggestions.😸There have been no trails for the last two days so it looks like my slimy lodger has either died of starvation or the threat of calling him Nigel frightened him away. I say 'him' but that's not technically correct because slugs are gender-neutral (very trendy) or to be more precise, hermaphrodites. This being the case if it reappears I will have to give it Martine's gender-neutral name suggestion of Sluggy McSlugface.👍🏻

Sue Hammond ● 2732d

"There have been no trails for the last two days"The slug may not be dead or frightened, but may have grown wings.

David Ainsworth ● 2732d

Have you been drinking?😉

Sue Hammond ● 2732d