Mushroom Problem Solved

[Pavel314]

I grow shiitake mushrooms on oak logs in my basement. Last week, I noticed two small mushrooms budding on one of them. The next day, one was larger but the other was gone. A couple of days later, I noticed that the cap of the mushroom seemed to be deformed or missing on one side. The next day, more was gone, and finally, there was just the stalk. I wondered if mice were eating my mushrooms, but our two cats have access to the basement all day and night, so I doubted if it were mice.

The next day, when I went to water them, I noticed something strange on the stalk; it was a slug who was eating the stalk. That slug must have eaten the cap a little at a time each day. I'll put some slug bait under the shelves, out of reach of the cats of course, and hope that solves the problem.

Paul

[Billy]

You need the active ingredient to be iron (ferric) phosphate , e.g. Sluggo, which is non-poisonous to mammals (iron + phosphate).

[Pavel314]

Thanks for the warning. My wife says she has some stuff that she uses in the greenhouse and she's very careful about what she puts out there. I'll double-check before I set it out, even though the mushroom garden is sealed off from the cats.

Paul