Slug/Snail Infestation

Seems this summer there has been an explosion in slugs/snails in the garden especially when wet. We have a number of wildlife which roam the area so a little apprehensive to start throwing pellets around but wondering what the reason is for this, I always assumed hedgehogs kept them at bay and the general decline in population isn't helping.

Any ideas on how to curb them? I have been successful with salt but that is more for specific targeting on the deck.

I replaced a piece of downpipe from my roof drainage and left it lying in the garden. It was a magnet for snails. Knocked them onto concrete and took great pleasure in squashing them. The blackbirds seem to relish them.

When we moved into our house, we had thousands of the things.

Beer traps - cheap bitter from Sainsburys - worked wonders.

The nematodes have worked really well on our slugs this year, they’re gone. Doesn’t affect snails much unfortunately and they have done some damage. I mostly hurl those over the back fence.

Wool?

'The fibres of the mat then irritate the slugs/snails...'

It explains why I've never seen slugs on my wool jumpers...



The blue pellets contained metaldehyde which actually killed slugs/snails - but now banned along with everything else.

Yeah, when you read about irritation, it does make you go but the Amazon reviews are pretty positive.

I know someone who marked them with nail varnish, they do indeed. Depends whether I succeed in hitting one of the trees with them though