and this:
The answer, methinks, is this little blighter,
who whilst being able to get just about anywhere on the ground, is not so good a reaching a hanging basket.
Slimy slug facts:
- Britain is the slug capital of the world.
- Our moist climate without the extremes of hot or cold is ideal for them.
- Each cubic metre of soil contains on average up to 200 slugs.
- Slugs are hermaphrodite (have both male and female sex organs).
- Each slug lays about 300 eggs in batches of up to 50 in crevices in the soil.
- They hatch in 3 weeks in the spring, whilst eggs laid in the autumn can over-winter before hatching.
- Slug eggs are slightly oval in shape, white in colour and measure 2-3 mm in diameter.
- Each Grey Field Slug can have up to 90,000 grandchildren.
- Slugs have approximately 25,000 teeth.
- Slugs consume around twice their own body weight each day. If you consider that an average slug weighs 0.1 oz, it will consume an amazing 1.75 lbs of plant material in a growing season.
- Young slugs tend to stay underground, feeding on humus (decaying organic matter). This creates an unseen menace, developing out of sight and just waiting for your young seedlings to be planted.
- Slugs breed all year round. There are two overlapping generations usually with peaks of egg laying in March-April and September-October.
- In northern Europe the life cycle takes 12-15 months.
Nematodes are a completely organic means of slug control and do no harm to wilflife whatsoever (although it is wise not to spray them near ponds as they may attack pond snails). I also have copious amounts of copper tape to put around the raised beds.
My veg shall be safe. Slugs, watch your backs!
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