Front of the House...

[beeno]

Hi all,
I am very surprised. First two frames next to entrance removed. Anyone seen the fishing programme about the huge octopus which squeezes through a tiny gap. Yes, think slugs. Opened up to put Thymol on and noticed a lot of slugs at the entrance!!! Could not believe it. Moved HM and entourage to temporary box whilst I washed and flamed brood box. One slug on the comb! Also, sign of wax moth in a strong colony with lots of brood and nice looking queen???
Will the Thymol keep the slugs out?

 

[REDWOOD]

Salt will

 

[masterBK]

Leopard slugs are meat eaters and I often find them in Apideas munching on dead bees

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

No Idea but baking powder is supposed to blow them up! Failing that a copper strip across the landing/alighting board in front of the entrance should do it. Or why not try both.

 

[Arfermo]

Mine are all on stands 12" off the ground and never seen a slug in the boxes. Are yours too low perhaps? Incidentally all my homemade stands were soaked in commercial type creosote and then stood in open before putting hives on so that may be the deterrent? Bees are definitely not affected, believe me.

 

[MartinL]

No Idea . . . . . a copper strip across the landing/alighting board in front of the entrance should do it. . . . . . .

Works on my Dahlia pots, try it around the legs of the stand if you have one?

 

[Roola]

apparently slugs have done very well the last few years due to mild winters and increased rainfall.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes, they've been munching my beetroots and potatoes.

 

[Melbee]

My hives are quite low but stand on gravel - perhaps the rough, uneven surface deters the slugs ?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My hives are quite low but stand on gravel - perhaps the rough, uneven surface deters the slugs ?

Yes, slugs don't like gravel. a lot of gardens around here have a high proportion of anthracite coal ash, originally put on the garden to lighten the heavy soil and, as all hoseholds had plenty of free coal thus plenty of waste - it was a good place to dump it the up side - not many slugs.
Another old trick around here was due to our proximity to Penclawdd the valley had a weekly visit from the cockle man and a lot of people prefered to buy them in the shell and cook them at home - the shells were crushed and laid as paths around the garden to deter slugs.