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Post by fredg on Oct 5, 2015 15:25:33 GMT
In the past, I've had several hundred Limax slugs populating the garden. We used to feed them any old hard cheese we had along with stale bread and they did enjoy the fallen seed from the bird feeders. I never detected any damage done by these slugs apart from on very small seedlings which they would disturb when they cruised the posts removing a fine skin of algae. Here's a few of them from back then enjoying a good feed. Note:- There are several large snails also involved in the feeding, I took the view if they ate what we put out then they weren't going to eat any prize specimen plants. At the end of June last year I spotted a Large Red slug for the first time. Identification to species is not simple as both Arion ater or Arion rufus are very variable in colour. Here's a reminder of the first one The Limax have gradually faded out and the Arion have multiplied and as with the Limax they appear to prefer to hunt out fallen grain from the bird feeders and stale bread we've put out for the birds. The Arion are mainly a ruddy brown, however, this little (only about 12cm) fellow/ female/other appeared today under a feeder. He/she/it had a blue glow about him/her/it which I found unusual. Unfortunately the camera didn't pick up the full effect but here's the shot anyway.
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Post by fredg on Oct 18, 2015 15:29:35 GMT
This handsome it was enjoying a nibble at a sultana so I gave it a corner of bread (wholemeal of course). I think the bread was preferred
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Post by fredg on Jun 13, 2016 11:40:54 GMT
This little chappie/lady/thingy was found enjoying a nibble of wholemeal bread the birds had dropped on top of the Sphagnum house. These Arion have really moved in now, displacing most of the Limax.
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Post by fredg on Jun 23, 2016 15:42:24 GMT
This fat lump (below) which is attempting to do an impersonation of a wet walnut is the culprit who demolished the foliage of four pots of Serapias lingua last night. These Arion slugs are really bad news. After years of having no trouble at all with hundreds of large Limax around, we are now getting a lot of foliage damage. These Arion are particularly fond of MrsG's Petunias in tubs, wall baskets and hangers. I'm afraid I will have to resort to combating them with Nematodes. That will unfortunately affect all slugs and snails in the garden including the Limax but any baiting would do just the same.
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