slugs in my compost...

[RosieMcPosie]

is this a bad thing? loads of them. literally loads. i dont like to poison them, i'd feel too guilty about the other animals that eat them?!
i have 2 compost bins and they're crawling. is this a problem and if so what can i do about it? please help!!

[RosieMcPosie]

[Palustris]

As long as they are in your compost heap then they are actually helping it to change from plant material to compost. Many slugs can only eat decaying matter, they lack the strngth of 'teeth' to chew green stuff. Them and wood lice and bacteria and fungus are what makes a compost heap live. Just be careful when you spread the compost around.

[cornykev]

I throw them in there sometimes, but still not sure if its the right thing to do, somebody on here said that they eat and eat them just die from the heat in the compost. Rosie you shouldn't have any problems killing them, they are vermin, turn your back and there'll strip your plants, just see them as a cross between bin laden and adolf hitler and then exterminate them.  ;D ;D ;D

[donlottie]

sorry to jump in rosie but I have an ants next in mine - should these be killed and if so what can I use to do it as powder will not get deep inside. Mine is a black composter so difficult to airiate (spelt wrong but who cares!!!)

[Deb P]

Ants like warm dry areas, so your compost is probably a bit on the dry side. Try watering your heap really well a few times and they will migrate to drier climes hopefully..... :-\

[dtw]

I suppose ants must do a good job of turning it over.
If I had any, I would leave them in.

[MrsKP]

the slugs that i don't teach to fly end up in the compost.

i'm far too squeaming to do the scissor or salt thing.

;D

[RosieMcPosie]

i have no problems killing slugs... just in poisoing them... dont want to inadvertadly poison all our frogs/birds/slowworms etc too!
thank you for all your help! what would i do without a4a? xx

[antipodes]

err what is the "scissor or salt things"??? OK I know you can put salt in slugs to shrivel 'em up, but scissors?????
I have very tiny slugs that munch the lettuce a bit but they don't seem to do that much damage. Maybe the man next door has eminently tastier veg???? But I must admit that I am a snail assassin... I pull them off and....step on them. gross gross and gross again. I hope I am providing food for the local birds because I then leave 'em in the path...

[MrsKP]

the scissor thing makes two slugs out of one !  Just shorter. 

:P

[Lauren S]

My morning ritaul consists of a coffee in one hand scissors in the other. Out side I go and check my brassicas for caterpillars. Chop chop and they are history  ;D

Lauren  ;)

[OllieC]

It's funny - I have to get them between the scissor blades, and then turn away during the actual chop. And I have to screw up my eyes at the same time. Why?!?!?!

[kt.]

You can always sprinkle a handful of slug pellets in the compost bin to kill them off. Don't turn them in just leave them on the surface.

[filstaz]

one thing i read yesterday said that " One slug can have 90,000 grandslugs" kill them all i say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[donlottie]

Why not water in nematoads to eat the little blighters babies that way you only have the mamas to dispose of.