May 26, 1997
Occasionally, I wonder if my slugs have more epicurean tastes than others. I've read and heard many reports of slugs hurling themselves into pie pans of stale beer to meet a bleary demise. But my slugs religiously shun any offers I make. I've yet to trace a silvery path from the cabbage leaves to a beer-baited death. However, there are a number of other traps for garden pests that I know work quite effectively.
Find Their Hiding Places
Simple methods are often effective for crawling insects. Upturned flower pots and boards are favorite hiding places for earwigs and pill bugs. These pests can be collected every morning and fed to pet frogs or destroyed. Slugs, too, can be caught by these means or under strategically placed cabbage leaves or grapefruit rinds. Be sure to collect the pests before the hot, mid-day sun forces them to seek other shelter.
Another pest that can be reduced to tolerable levels by trapping is the white fly. It has been found that white flies are attracted to the color yellow (Rustoleum 659TM seems to be their favorite). A board painted yellow then coated with oil or grease to make a sticky trap will capture many adult white flies. Unfortunately, the eggs and young will still be on the plants. This method seems to be most effective indoors and only with small populations of pests.
Another approach to pest control that might be considered the reverse of trapping is construction of shields or guards to prevent attack. This is most commonly used to prevent wildlife damage. Bulbs planted in wire mesh baskets reduce vole damage. The bases of orchard trees are often covered with wire or plastic guards to reduce rabbit and mouse damage on the bark. Various nets over strawberries and blueberries save them from the birds. Nets can also be used over young seedlings to help prevent insect and rabbit damage.
Dedicated Growers Protect Corn with Bags
Cardboard tubes or cans with both ends removed can keep cutworms from plant stems. Some gardeners even go so far as bagging each ear of corn after pollination has been completed. This protects the corn from both birds and insects. While I don't believe I'll ever become so dedicated as to bag the individual ears of corn to prevent damage, I have been considering offering wine to my slugs.
More gardening information is available in the Virginia Gardener Newsletter.
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