Following postings about slugs and snails and copper wire etc., I am performing some experiments which gardeners, (that does not include me, I am a non gardener, 'her outdoors' is the gardener) might like to follow.
Pictures at
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of the pictures shows a slug which is reluctant in going over the copper wire.
Other pictures are self explanatory .
The three pots of beans are now under the tender care of 'her outdoors' in her greenhouse. Once the plants show above the compost, they will be placed in a 'vulnerable' position outdoors where the slugs and snails seem to frequent.
Watch this space.
Be delighted to answer any questions.
The Cathodic/Electrolytic Action experiment with two dissimilar metals round a pot may follow later.
Uh, the slug appears to be "in" the raised garden. Maybe he is reluctant to leave a free lunch. In the picture with the copper tape, there is no plant to attract the slugs or did they already eat it?;-)
Many years ago (about 30+) I read about copper deflecting the onslaught of slugs. It so happened soon after reading this tidbit of information I spotted a box of copper tape on the counter of my company 'store' while I was getting spare fuses for my truck. I asked the fellow what it was for. He had no idea nor who ordered it. We paved roads. He said if I wanted it I could have it. Whoopie! Two dozen lovely 100ft rolls of 2 inch wide copper 'tape'.
I ran a single strip of tape this all around the outside of my wooden raised vegetable beds and flower planter boxes. I live in the Pacific NW, USA.......we have SLUGS! I did this in early spring, just before I planted. The first few weeks I picked slugs out of the beds and boxes but I assume these were already there or hatched from existing eggs. I never saw trails or evidence of slugs crossing the tape. By mid summer my raised beds and boxes were slug free. THEN......as the corrosion started covering the tape (heavy green-bluish stuff) the slugs began to creep over the most heavily corroded areas. Apparently this insulates the electrifying effect. Problem easily solved organically. I cleaned the copper bottoms of some of my cooking pans with tomato juice. I poured tomato juice into a small bucket, rubbed down the tape using a rag dipped in the juice, hosed off the residue and once again the tape was shiny and repelling slugs. This continued to work the 15 years I lived there.
One hint about attaching your copper. I used roofing nails and soon saw that electrolysis occurred from the metals reacting to each other. It wouldn't be long before it corroded through and the tape would fall off. I pulled the nails, predrilled holes about every 3-4 feet or so, applied a dab of silicone caulk and inserted a nylon staple type peg. The 'peg' was from a piece of crap Buttoneer Tool I was given, never used the useless gadget. My young son had been using the tool for a "ray gun", had to dig that out of his toy box. Never throw anything away, never know when you might need it ;)
I'm going to try copper wire around unglazed pots. We have voracious slugs, some are over 7" long and hunt a couple hours after dark. Beer traps didn't work so well, snail/slug bait is much better. Some years are much worse than others, I think it depends on the past winter temperatures and duration. I've heard the slugs dislike hair, sharp sand, gravel or diatomaceous earth. But, I've seen pictures of slugs/snails crossing a razor or knife without getting cut, I guess due to slime protection. The west coast has some huge slugs that invade many gardens. Some pick them off early in the morning.
Has anyone considered buying a roll of copper foil that is used in stained glass hobby/business? It comes in 108-ft rolls and has a peel-off paper backing that can be left for added strength (the glued back is so it sticks to glass). The foil comes in various thicknesses, usually 1 or 1.5 mil, I believe, and width of 1/4" or more. The price per roll is about is about $6 perhaps. You'd need to check around to see if there are any stained glass suppliers. It's a bit expensive for keeping slugs away, but should work. For myself, there's nothing like stripping some 16 or 18 guage copper strand wire that can be found almost anytime in a scrap pile somewhere.
While I prefer using multiple strands of fine copper wire, I know someone who has used copper foil quite successfully. She says that, after one use, the glue is no longer usable. Then she uses a glue stick or other means to fasten the foil for reuse.
The reason I prefer wire is aesthetic: it is not as noticeable as foil.
They sell rolls of copper in the gardening section of most home improvement stores. It works great. Copper is getting so expensive though! I'm thinking of finding a way to use pennies instead.
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