Rounding up the slugs

Wayside

I have never used weed killer until recently, when I used some round up on some ground elder in early spring.

Anyway it seems to have knocked it right back.  At day close, I began to hear what I thought was the plants whithering.  It turned out to be slugs munching.

I then thought, oh know, poor slugs.  And then panicked, that the birds might eat the slugs and die etc.

Do you think I may have decimated the local bird population?  The strip was about 2m by 3m. It just didn't occur to me.

Last edited: 16 June 2016 18:33:05

fidgetbones

Glyphosate is supposed to be harmless to wildlife once it has dried.

BLT

Death to the Slugs I say, the lil perishers lay 2000 eggs in one go...

I also use Round up on invadeing Ivy..But no where  else...  I found I had less slugs and smails since I stopped scattering slug pellets..Maybe they attract slugs..

Last edited: 17 June 2016 12:04:55

green fingered finch

On a similar note, does anyone know of slugs that eat slug pellets and die and then get eaten by birds or hedgehogs can harm them? 

Dovefromabove

Yes, slug pellets containing metaldehyde (sp?) are harmful to other wildlife including birds and hedgehogs. 

It is believed that the ones containing ferric phosphate are not harmful. 

Watery

Slug pellets are bait so they do attract slugs.  The ferric phosphate ones may also be harmful because they contain a chelating agent so that all the iron is absorbed at once (or something like that) http://www.hostalibrary.org/firstlook/RRIronPhosphate.htm according to this person.

So it's not the iron or the phosphate that's the problem but the EDTA. 

But I've also seen a study showing those pellets aren't harmful to quail or to earthworms.  Same http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/ironphosphategen.html says dogs have been harmed by eating ferric (or Iron) phosphate slug pellets.

I don't believe birds eat slugs.  I know people say they do but in my garden they absolutely turn up their beaks and  refuse to have anything to do with them no matter how nicely presented.   I think I have spoiled birds.  But they love leatherjackets!

Hostafan1

Has there been any research as to whether wildlife avoid slugs killed by pellets?

Lots use slug pellets and I've not heard any say they've found dead birds and hogs littering the place?

I use them sparingly on occasion and the birds and hogs seem oblivious to my actions. 

Wayside

http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/Homepest/slugs.htm

I had a quick look online for secondary poisoning with slug pellets but couldn't find anything.

I only found this about gsyphophate:

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/glyphogen.html#env

Dovefromabove

Info about the toxicity of metaldehyde slug pellets here

http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/Actives/Metaldeh.htm 

Hostafan1

I understand secondary poisoning would be dangerous IF eaten, but I'm curious if there is any actual evidence if wildlife somehow find them unpalatable and leave them alone.

I'm not saying they do, I'm not saying they don't. I'm just curious.

Marygold

I've heard that the slugs that eat the 'organic' pellets crawl underground to die. Therefore, birds etc. don't eat them. But what about earth dwelling creatures? Does it have any effect on them?