YEEUUKK

In France for a couple of weeks - in rented house with pool, first day the lady who does more or less everything was clearing out the pool filter and screamed when she saw large toad apparently dead lying at the bottom of the trap - it was plastic but v realistic! Some darling child obviously thought it would be amusing....

Lily beetles are quite easy to catch as they move very slowly, I had the grandchildren well trained to catch, and then stamp on the bright orange beetles. I though I was on top of the problem, but eventually the pre beetle larva chewed through the roots, so I had to destroy my lilies - luckily in a pot - and burnt the remains. So now no Lily Beetles, but sadly no Lilies either!

First thing DH does when we get to France is to look in the pool filters, frogs, toads, mice and some very interesting huge insects make his day. If the local farmer is haymaking it is common to see lots of fieldmice swimming.

Let's get real... LOL. I often pull a fresh lettuce in the morning from my vegetable patch and there's nearly always a slug nestled in the leaves. The lettuce is so tasty - no pesticides whatsoever.

I have very recently discovered a new way to kill slugs.

Whenever I see them they are usually destroyed instantly (preferred and most satisfying method is chopping in half with garden spade) but when gardening with my toddler GS, I don't want him to see me killing anything, so we have a slug jar (with lid). We use this to scoop up all the slugs we find and I tell him I'll be taking them somewhere safe that's far away from our flowers/plants.

Earlier this week we were using our normal jar system but then I forgot to dispose of the slug contents in the usual way and the jar was left out in the garden exposed to sunlight etc. Once I got round to noticing the said jar, there were lots of dead slugs in it. Wonderful!. They seemed to have drowned gruesomely in each others slime.

Reminds me of the time my DD2 ate (half) a slug, aged about one. We were all having a nice morning in the garden and I'd turned my back for a few seconds. I can see her now, little frilly sun hat on, half a horrible slug in her chubby little fist....

No wonder she's a vegetarian now.

Our pet slugs hold overnight parties in our kitchen when they practise for the Olympics, racing, climbing up washing machine/cupboards etc. They love to play hide and seek - we see them, go to get the dustpan and by the time we turn round, they are rushing to hide under washing machine. When firmly advised that they are not welcome and put outside, they tear round the house and by the time we get up are back laughing at us! Nasty MIL has snails, which she picks up and throws over the hedge into the road, hoping they'll get run over. Usually go bare-footed and do not like stepping on creatures, cos they feel really nasty underfoot!

I used to hate and scared of earth worms. Now that I know how good they are for the garden, I don't mind them anymore. In fact I am thrilled that there are hundreds of them in my compost bin! Maybe watching (with GD the never ending programs of Pippa Pig and George helping Granpa Pig in the garden) helped my terror of earthworms! Blush

IMO the only good snail is a snail stuffed with garlic butter

The worst experience I had was when I was a young newlywed. I was hanging washing on the line. I stepped back and there was a crunch. I had stepped on a baby bird. To this day I'm sickened by what I did.

Yuk how horrible for you. I touched one by accident this week while weeding,but I was wearing rubber gloves. Still felt disgusting.

What are they for anyway ?

I can't bring myself to squash them on purpose, but I throw them by the bird table and feeders so hopefully a birdy will find it and eat it!

I was coming out of my daughters garden late one night and heard the most slurpy chomping sound from a corner , it was a hedgehog eating a slug ! Gosh , it sounded good ! Are they edible to humans - maybe good for LCHF ?

Definitely wusses, who didn't play in the garden during wet weather much as kids or you'd be less phased by a snail or slug. I grew up in clay soil Essex where they abounded.

However, these new types are huge and both slugs and snails this year have jaws like alligators, decimated my carefully grown runner bean plants once DH planted them outside . Currently saving, baking and crushing eggshells to create barriers and like the sound of the garlic water too, will research on internet.

Coffee grounds have been recommended, I reckon we could be eating coffee flavoured courgettes this year with the amount DH is putting down.

I remember looking after my friend's DS age 18 months - his mother was worried that he was late in beginning to talk. I took him out in the garden, and showed him the 'wildlife'.
"Look, Alexander, theres a great big fat slug!" I said. "F*CK" said Alexander. It was his first word ever and he repeated it at every opportunity. Of course, he thought he was saying 'SLUG', but I had problems convincing his mummy!
He's 22 now, and we still laugh about it.

I can't bear to kill slugs although I hate them eating my plants. The other day I saw a slime trail on my patio going round and round with a rather dried-up dying slug next to it. I took pity on it and used a watering can to wash it under the shed. Next day I found the same thing with what looked like the same slug so repeated the rescue operation. Am I mad?

Ugh, ugh, ugh. I have a major phobia of s****s - can't even bear to type the word. Now I can add mushrooms on toast to that list.

Thank you all sooooooo much for making me feel glad that I live in a flat with no garden!

I use a low bowl with a can of cheap beer poured in every couple of nights - seems irresistible to slugs, and they die happy...

Can't bear them. Usually pick them up on the trowel and flick them in to the hens who eat them (then I can't eat the next day's eggs) but even the hens refuse to have anything to do with the big orangey ones that are around now. Hate them!

Was eating an egg sandwich whilst reading this, SwimHome. I now feel strangely queasy!

LOL @ 'bear feet'

I'm answering my own question after Googling it. Yes, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall cooks slugs in a tomato sauce ! He washes them in vinegar first to remove the slime ! Anyone want to come for tea ?

But did you see him cook them on TV, then try them ? Not recommended.

That's just too much, Gandtea.
Wish I had bear feet!!