How to protect strawberry from slugs?

[natasha]

I have very prolific  perpetual strawberry (it is still in fruit) , but I fail to protect the berries from slugs.

Things I tried:
egg shells
pine needles
beer traps

Now I want to put copper rings around the plants, but someone told me that because of rain they will develop copper oxide which might leak into the soil and it is not good for soil or plants.

I'm desperatly looking for solution, nemaslug is too expensive and blue slug pellets are too poisonous for the environment.

If someone knows what to do, please, help.

Thank you for reading this.

[natasha]

[MrsKP]

my new battle plan are these little darlings.  Only got them on Friday so have no idea if they do what they say on the tin.  Time will tell.

http://www.littleshopofhorrors.co.uk/customer/product.php?productid=17205

[HappyCatz]

I have put down porridge oats before and seemed to work!

[supersprout]

STRAW!
;D

[teresa]

Mrs KP love it how many will they eat?
Straw was the way to keep fruit clean I have not heard it as a slug deterant could be. How about grit around the bed like they use for alpine plants?  or make a wooded frame with fine wire mesh to compleatly cover the patch so they cannot go in? would stop birds  as well just an idea :-\

[MrsKP]

haven't a clue teresa, i've got to keep them alive first (the plants not the slugs lol).  I keep forgetting to water them with rainwater, so i'm sure they'll be dead by the end of next week.

i will however report back if i hear some gnashing and comping going on and just see a slugs bum poking out of the pitcher !


;D

[rdm51]

Hi Teresa.
Get friendly with your local Barber or hairdresser and ask them for the sweepings at the end of the night, slugs don't like traveling over hair, don't ask how i found that one out, but i am going rather thin on top.
Bob

[teresa]

Well natasha some ideas for you to try hee hee, my strawberrys are fruiting down lottie Harpi but loads of birds around plus tarmac on one side? :)
MrKP neighbroughs grows them has them ina deep tray of RW constant, I only had a venus one for dad he nearly killed it by catching flies for it he realy got into it,  ;D
Bob love the idea of hair, remember the beverly hillbillies when granny cut Jeds hair and to make it grow back she put a mustard poltice on it, might be a idea ha ha :D

[rdm51]

Teresa.
Beverly Hillbillies way before my time (shut up MrsKP i have had a hard life  ::)).
i wondered why the wife has been stocking up on mustard.
Bob

[manicscousers]

we tried it with dog hair, worked if there was enough around each plant, trouble is, can't trim the dog enough to go around all the plants

[MrsKP]

Bob, your secret's safe with me  ;)

[real food]

:)My solution to this problem is to plant up to 12 strawberry plants in an old fish box. Then place the box on an old metal stand about 2 feet off the ground. Slugs and snails find it impossible to reach the box!! Mice are also thwarted. Cover with netting to keep the birds off. At present, I have the perpetual strawberries covered with plastic to keep the rain off and extend the cropping season. Picked some more today. Not bad for Glasgow!!
I arrange the fruiting shoots to hang over the edge of the boxes, ready for easy picking.
I have seen a similar idea using 60 litre growbags, raised off the ground on an old table. Many strawberries in Scotland are now grown commercially on raised trestles in polytunnels.

[natasha]

Thank you very much everybody,
good ideas here.
I'll try stands and hair.