Slugs in the house
 

  You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more

[Closed] Slugs in the house

30 Posts
24 Users
0 Reactions
178 Views
Posts: 13554
Free Member
Topic starter
 

We live in an old(ish) house built around 1890 and have a real issue with slugs meandering around the house overnight. Coming downstairs in a morning the living room is full of their trails. Does anybody know of a way, besides using salt as flooring, of stopping the little blighters getting in? First World problem, but slightly irritating.


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 9:19 pm
Posts: 1617
Free Member
 

get a toad?


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 9:20 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

That's a great punk band name.


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 9:23 pm
Posts: 8527
Free Member
 

A pet blackbird should see ye reet....


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 9:26 pm
Posts: 50252
Free Member
 

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 9:28 pm
Posts: 13554
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Tried a pet Owl. Told the wife it was overkill, but she knows best. Might have to get an assalt rifle...... Bad joke, I'll get my coat shall I? The one with the shiny trails on it 🙁


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 9:44 pm
Posts: 8819
Free Member
 

Who's in the houuuse?.....


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 9:46 pm
Posts: 13554
Free Member
Topic starter
 

There was one inside my knee pad last week. Only found out when I'd dragged it's carcass up my shin. Serves me right for leaving it on the floor I guess.


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 9:50 pm
Posts: 2440
Free Member
 

I've had the same problem. Caught two this week. One was right at the side of my keyboard!


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 9:53 pm
Posts: 495
Full Member
 

Ah, the joys of living in an old house. Just wait until you stand on one in your bare feet first thing in the morning! Our slightly count has been in decline alongside gradually sorting out various damp issues with the house, have you got anything similar? Otherwise, great excuse for a pet badger.


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 10:36 pm
Posts: 13554
Free Member
Topic starter
 

No damp issues, had a damp course done and always keep windows on vent. I've had the foot / slug interface a few times. Made worse by happening when FunkmasterJunior was a newborn. Three o'clock feed and slug toe is no fun at all.


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 10:47 pm
Posts: 6409
Free Member
 

Make me want to vomit

Same issue here 1913ish house, only in the front room


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 10:49 pm
Posts: 4607
Free Member
 

I have exactly the same problem, but we've learned to embrace them. I find the things fascinating, frankly.

Before you go killing them unnecessarily, get down on your hands and knees and examine one with a torch. The light can reveal their biological complexity. They're really quite amazing creatures.


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 10:57 pm
Posts: 13554
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Would never kill one on purpose. Pet Badger is the best solution so far I reckon.


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 11:19 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

**** that, kill 'em. If you can find out where they're coming from / in, buy a bunch of slug pellets. We were plagued by them for years until my mum gave me a tub of pellets. Problem solved literally overnight.


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 11:31 pm
Posts: 27603
Full Member
 

Salt & Vinegar crisps with a pint?


 
Posted : 26/08/2016 11:38 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Its worse if you step on said slimy creature with socks on - has the 'sieve' effect 😮 😯


 
Posted : 27/08/2016 12:58 am
Posts: 65918
Free Member
 

I'm gonna fix that slug, that's what I'm gonna do

SaxonRider - Member

I have exactly the same problem, but we've learned to embrace them

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 27/08/2016 1:11 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Do you have a cellar? Reason I ask is we had a similar issue. Turns out they were getting in there and climbing up into the house. I removed all the skirting boards in the room above the cellar to reveal a 5mm or so gap between the floor boards and wall. Filled this gap with expanding foam & cut flush once dry and replaced the skirting boards.

That seemed to solve the problem for us. No problem with them getting in the cellar!


 
Posted : 27/08/2016 5:06 am
Posts: 13554
Free Member
Topic starter
 

No cellar, but found a gap under one of the radiators. Previous owner must have cut the boards incorrectly. I'm going to take off skirting boards too. Might have to get a bottle of Makers Mark and stay up on slug watch to see where they are getting in. Expanding foam sounds like a good idea. Would try pellets, but have a two year old and wouldn't want him getting hold of them.


 
Posted : 27/08/2016 8:30 am
Posts: 22922
Full Member
 

I blame the council. The spread salt all winter long and theres no slugs - perfect. Then for some crazy reason they give the grit lorry driver the whole summer off. The result? Slugs everywhere.


 
Posted : 27/08/2016 8:44 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Use nematodes in your garden to reduce the population

You can get them online


 
Posted : 27/08/2016 10:59 am
Posts: 13594
Free Member
 

http://www.slugoff.co.uk/killing-slugs/nematodes


 
Posted : 27/08/2016 2:41 pm
Posts: 13554
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Brilliant! Nematodes it is. 😀


 
Posted : 27/08/2016 3:28 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

try copper tape around where they might be getting in, they wont cross it as it gives them an electric shock. Bought it on ebay before for putting around raised vegetable beds and worked


 
Posted : 27/08/2016 4:03 pm
Posts: 3488
Free Member
 

They get in through air bricks, older Victorian louvred ones are worst they let mice in too. Unfortunately simply blocking them can cause moisture problems and dry rot so don't do it! They often climb up the inside of the exterior wall in the sub floor and into the house via the expansion gap all the way round a typical T&G suspended floor. They can of course get in other ways cellars for example.

The little buggers can climb all the way up to the roof!


 
Posted : 27/08/2016 5:51 pm
Posts: 97
Full Member
 

Ours were getting through a 1cm dia hole at the bottom of the enclosure that the soil stack is inside.
But it took a late night session with a torch & talc to track the hole down.
I filled the hole with as many "Erazer" pellets as I could & filled the hole.
They've never come back.
I saluted my victory with the beer that was destined for the trap recommended by a work colleague.


 
Posted : 28/08/2016 8:36 am
Posts: 794
Free Member
 

Get a duck, ours are highly effective slug hunter-killers. You may then have an issue with duck poo, but that's a problem for a future, slug free you 😉


 
Posted : 28/08/2016 8:56 am
Posts: 31206
Full Member
 

We get slugs in every time it rains after dark. Also old house. Bloody huge ones too.

I've given up trying to trace them as ours are clearly magical. We regularly find trails that seem to originate in the middle of the rug or the middle of the stone floor in the kitchen.

They are fascinating (but gross) creatures, the ones that are literally covered in slug mite parasites make me feel a bit squeamish. But as above, nothing beats accidentally standing on one in your socks. Barf!


 
Posted : 28/08/2016 9:00 am
Posts: 65918
Free Member
 

A year from today:

funkmasterp - Member

We live in an old(ish) house built around 1890 and have a real issue with ducks meandering around the house overnight. Coming downstairs in a morning the living room is full of their poo.

kenneththecurtain - Member

Get a fox, ours are highly effective duck hunter-killers. You may then have an issue with fox poo, but that's a problem for a future, duck free you


 
Posted : 28/08/2016 1:21 pm
Posts: 27
Free Member
 

MRs has a terrible phobia of slugs and our house was plagued with them, we knew they were coming in somewhere in the downstaors bathroom (extension) and passing through here up the hall into the cupboard and eating the dog food!. I took the bath panel off to reveal massive gaps between wall and floors, filled the shit outta this wwith expanding foam. No sight of the buggers since.


 
Posted : 28/08/2016 8:58 pm

6 DAYS LEFT
We are currently at 95% of our target!