I had a really bad slug infestation on my balcony garden last year. Because they were eating on everything, and were in the thousands almost, I had to resort to “poison” bait. Not one of the toxic ones, because I have cats, but ones based on Iron phosphate.
Still, it resulted in another pest: all those slimy slugs crawled under the floor cover and died there. Disgusting. Everything was full of flies and stank.
But mainly, it was mentally horrifying.
This year, I want to do it differently. Instead of killing them, I want prevention.
I already looked up online, but all “natural predators” are bigger ones, like ducks and toads, but of course that isn’t viable on my small balcony.
So, I thought about already killing them in the egg stage.
What natural killers, like nematodes or bugs, do they have in this life stage?
What can I do to attract them?
How is that regulared by natural balance?
Anyway, I got outside and dug up some soil samples from different locations and spreaded them in the pots, hoping that there are some eggs or critters in there that are currently hibernating and then improve the natural balance in the summer.
It was only one hand full of dirt per big pot, but that should be enough I believe. It’s only the catalyst/ starter culture after all.
Btw, I’m currently building up the soil for the following season. Last year has been absolutely great with organic living soil, and I want to improve on that.
The new soil, consisting of spent mushroom blocks, some soil, leaf matter, and more:
And the old one from a few months ago, when I harvested my hemp tree:
I plan to reuse it of course! No-till, a shit ton of organic matter, very well aerated with deep roots from the decaying plant that was previously in there. Extremely healthy dirt 🤌👌
Honestly I don’t have any amazing idea, but you could try to fence around the plants with some diatomaceous earth.
I’ve never used it - mainly because it is pretty hard to find where I live - but read good things about it.
Be careful which kind of this stuff you use - there’s one kind that is being heat treated which can cause severe damage to the lung (that “earth” is avery fine powder), and then there’s the untreated stuff that can even be used as a good additive.
Great looking soil there
They love beer, and hate coarsely ground egg shells, and copper. Put out shallow tubs of the cheapest beer or other ethanol fermented drink. Spread coarse ground egg shells, and copper wire, etc in ways that protect your plants and guide them to their doom, the beer that is. They love it, will literally drown themselves. Also slug eggs can remain in soil for like 3 years, think of this as a longterm ongoing Oktoberfest for Slugs.
I had good luck with cedar mulch repelling them around my squash plants.
No idea what do at this stage but if you want to kill those suckers when they are older a beer trap might be an option. They drown in beer and I like to believe that that’s a sweet death for them. I wouldn’t use it in the garden as it would attract slugs from farther away but on a balcony it might be an option
