Slug Bait and Your Pets

Admin

Ask the Vet: slug bait advice

Admin

We don't use snail and slug bait as we have a healthy population of toads and frogs resident in our garden. There's always loads of empty snail shells lying around after they've been on a feast. I've also seen birds pick up a snail and smash it on our garden wall for the tasty treat inside.

It definitely pays to attract wildlife in your garden.

Top Cat

We put some on the pots when we planted out the bean plants but put wooden sticks over the top to prevent any wildlife/cats getting at them. Then virtually every day I go out on a snail/slug hunt and any that I find get put in a container (empty tablet bottles, empty spreadable butter containers, empty jam jars, etc) and then put in the bin.

We used to throw the snails over the railway embankment at the end of the road. They never seemed to get less and then I read that snails have a homing instinct and, one day, we put a blob of tippex on the shells before throwing them ..... at least one came back!

Our bin lorries travel about 20 miles to the tip so if the containers get damaged and the snails get out let them try and find their way home from there!!!!

Admin

The trouble will slug bait is that it not only poisons the snails/slugs but also those predators that feed off them.

I've heard about the 'homing instinct' Hamster, I think it was on a gardening programme some time ago. I fling them over the fence too lol but on to the river embankment behind our garden. I'd never toss them over in my neighbours garden - just wanted to clarify that lol.