Gardening here in Western Washington involves a constant battle with slugs. This year we have a new friend. This garter snake is the biggest one we have ever had in the garden, and he is eating slugs left and right. He was swallowing a slug, but I couldn’t get the photo in time. We always leave a piece of plywood near the garden to encourage the snakes, but this guy is our best defense yet.
Our next best friend in our battle is beer. Slugs love it and have a happy death. I usually buy 40 ouncers, but Tom came home with Rainier beer. (This next sentence is not meant for my parents to read.) Opening this can of beer this morning for the slugs produced an aroma that brought back teenage memories. I even took a nostalgic taste. Anyway, the beer is out with the slugs now. I refuse to use slug bait or diatomaceous earth for slugs, and copper wire is expensive and impractical (the little bastards will sneak under the tiniest gap) so I am left with snakes and beer.
This next photo is not for the squeamish.
I know I am cruel, but I am just trying to protect other prettier lives.
I managed to do some gardening this morning since it is finally sunny today. We are slowly emptying the greenhouse of the starts, and hopefully the weather doesn’t turn cold again and defeat our efforts. The spices are moved to the back porch where we can easily grab some for the kitchen. Plus there are no slugs there.
Reading your blog today brought back fond memories of us trying to garden when we lived in North Bend, WA years ago. We also did battle with the slugs in the same matter…beer. Yes they did love it, and yes it was gross. If we didn’t empty the containers of slug filled beer in time, the slugs would dissolve. I made Marshall empty them. I felt cruel too, but anything I’d try to plant would be eaten to the ground the very next morning.
We don’t have slugs very often over here in North Central WA, too dry. And I don’t have a garden either, but am trying a tomato plant this year. I wish we only had garter snakes. the only snakes I’ve seen near our place are rattle snakes….UGH!
Jackie
I am glad I brought back fond memories 😉 Good luck with your tomato plants. They are always touch and go here with our weather. Garter snakes are much nicer than rattlers.
I feel lucky we don’t have too many slugs here. My biggest problem right now is keeping the dogs from running through and tearing things up. Glad you have a snake to help you out!
You should feel lucky- they will take out a garden fast. We have the garden fence to keep the dogs out. The snake can have some serenity that way.
Remember, the slug thing is not personal, and you are making the snake very happy.
You are right Charlie.