i used to bait.. the ditch edging between the lawn.. and the actual bed..

on the theory that is would either stop them before they got there.. or lure them AWAY FROM THE PLANTS ...

who the heck knows what the heck they were doing out there.. other than diversifying their diet ...

ken

Hummm, got me curious so I googled it ;-)

This is taken from gardeningknowhow.com
"Slugs thrive in a high moisture environment. When considering where do slugs live in my garden, you should look far anywhere that moisture may be retained. Common places to find slugs will be under pots and containers, under mulch, under boards, under rocks and deep in overgrown vegetation."

From yahoo answers:
"They stay under cover or underground. The slimey so and so's hide anywhere dark and damp, under stones, slabs, bricks, vegetation, soil, compost heaps and in or under flower pots."

And the website (good grief, they have a website?) whatdoslugseat.com
"Their bodies are not able to retain moisture because of their structure they will dry out if not surrounded by moisture. To protect themselves slugs will live under plants, decaying leaves, pots or rocks - anything that they can find to hide under to protect themselves from the environment and where moisture is retained. As most slug species eat dead leaves, fungus and decaying vegetable this also affects where they choose to live.
Slugs will even burrow themselves into the ground for protection and to find food. Slugs need moisture, so will live where they can find the most moisture that is why more slugs are seen in the rainy season. Most land species of slugs like to live in overgrown vegetation. Some slugs hibernate underground in the winter but in other species the adults die in the autumn. You are unlikely to find slugs in dry arid regions except around an oasis. Warm and moist conditions such as tropical jungles are a haven for slugs."

Aside from where we usually think to find them, I'm guessing they are either coming from a compost pile, some tall vegetation near by or from an underground hide out.

Deb

They might also come from low growing companion plants. Slugs seem to appear from nowhere when new fresh plants are planted. I just planted 30 seedlings of average size 8 in W x 8 in H and spread slug pellets around them. Next morning there were dead slugs there too. I also had probably a rabbit cut off 2 or 3 leaves, and then sprayed everything with Liquid Fence against a rabbit.

Using BugGeta seems to have dwarfed the general slug population in my yard. I have no longer large slugs, and no longer slugs crawling on driveway and walkways after a rain.
Bernd

In the spring when it was fairly warm, and we had unending rain, I was surprised to see dark gray/black small things climbing up the stucco exterior of my house. Small slugs they were. At that time, there was water standing in those west-facing flower beds, and apparently they might drown? At least, I'm assuming that, since they fall into beer and drown, so why not drown in standing water?

These days I do not see so many of them, even though we have had a lot of rain, and a lot of rampant vegetation. Taking out the weeds is quite an issue for me, since the humidity is so great--always close to 100% it seems--and I cannot endure it for any length of time.

I think that Babka's idea of the two 2x2 boards beneath the pots is better than using clay feet beneath my pots. Of course, the wood must be treated or add another issue with termite haven to your gardening concerns.

This late in the season, it is like a perfect storm of all hosta enemies coming to a violent crescendo, worthy of Arthur Fiedler's way of doing 1812 Overture. In fact, I can see a video of insects damaging hosta done in by a gardener while playing the 1812 overture on their sound system.

If I could get the footage of destroying nematodes and saw flies and slugs and snails and aphids, with the 1812 Overture playing loudly in the background, I think the video would go viral on YouTube!

Anyone have the skills needed to put such a video together?
BOOM !!! (there goes another squishy slug....eeeewwww)....

Just trying to understand their behavior so I have a better plan for control.
I know they hide under moist wood, pots etc and I deliberately leave such things around so I can find them to kill them.
But from what Deb is saying about them needing moisture to survive, I can only assume they came out of the flower beds into the wet grass for the night since it was more comfortable for them. They were easy targets at that point. I hope I did some good and reduced their egg producing efforts at least.

Moccasin, in my garden my hosta enemies mounted their assault early in the season in the form of cutworms. They ruined my hosta and I probably was lax about slug control because the damage was already done.

Ta To^datah tah, ^dah tah, ^Taaah!------------SQUASH

Did that do anything for you moc? If you need more just repeat it up 1/2 note a couple of times and then:

DUM, DUM DUM, DUM, DE DUUUUUM! >>>>>>>> SQUISH

Repeat over and over with rising crescendo.

CRASH, SPLAT. BAM - Golly BatLady! You have it!

I get it moc. I can imagine walking across North's yard with well placed footfalls and I can hear the cannons roar and the hosta bells ringing backed by the tinkling of Lily of the Valley and Solomon's Seal bells.

What a grand Overture! Tsaichovski's finest hour! A cacophany of beautiful music (mispelling excused)if I've ever heard one.

Les

Darn! If only I had the skills, I would make that video! Seriously marvelous idea, moccasinlanding. LOL

Too funny, les.
I'll never be able to listen to Tsaichovski's 1812 again without imagining myself squishing slugs. And I'm not sure whether you've ruined or increased my pleasure from the symphony.

How could such a MASTERPIECE be ruined by a bunch of slimy desgusting critters?

lol

Les

Les, Cyn, my hat is off to you for responding so positively. I sort of liked the idea too. And Cyn, if you have any small snippets of video, it could make a really nice ad for some company like ORTHO or BAYER, I should think.

Hmmm, well, it will be a long winter with nothing to do up there in the Upper Peninsula and in Canada and upstate NY, and maybe it will be a typical winter with a lot of snowfall. So while you have a chance, take some footage of the demise of squashy-squishy pests, and by spring we should be watching a gardening Oscar-winner. Or whatever it is that is an award for such a bloodless combat.

Hey, y'all, I didnot mean to kill the slug thread.
I shot the (sheriff/video) but I did not shoot the (deputy/thread)....

please continue as you were
i'll tone it down here in the cheap seats