The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: doganjo on August 02, 2016, 01:45:44 pm

Title: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: doganjo on August 02, 2016, 01:45:44 pm
Watching countryfile extra this morning - Paul who does Flog It and recently started smallholding used bits of fleece round the base of brassicas to repel snails and slugs - lanolin and other properties keep them at bay apparently
Anyone else heard of this?
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: shep53 on August 02, 2016, 02:12:38 pm
Yes friend has done it for years , she tried slug pellets made of compressed wool and her dogs ate them
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: waterbuffalofarmer on August 02, 2016, 02:15:32 pm
No to tell the truth I haven't, but if anyone wants any spare bits of wool I have plenty..... :innocent:
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: Foobar on August 02, 2016, 03:23:07 pm
Yes, I've heard that it works well.
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: landroverroy on August 02, 2016, 03:40:44 pm
 I have tried it and seen a snail crawling over the wool. (not very fast or enthusiastically though!)
 So still undecided about whether it works or not.  :thinking:
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: YorkshireLass on August 02, 2016, 06:58:46 pm
I sort of tried it, and mainly made a mess of mud and un-diggable soil. I prefer no dig, but there is only one way to harvest spuds!
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: Fleecewife on August 02, 2016, 07:11:08 pm
The idea has been around for yonks.  I have tried it but, while it might work in drier areas, it doesn't seem to work here.  Once the fleece has been flattened by rain, and has a wet surface, the slugs and snails aren't bothered.
As YorkshireLass says, the soil can become unworkable, especially if you use a rotavator or mantis, as the fleece, when unrotted, becomes tangled in the blades.  So overall for me it's a nono.  It's quite useful for covering the compost heap if you have felted fleece.  It reduces the rain and keeps the compost warm and working.  When you use the compost keep back the fleece and use it on the new heap.
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: Anke on August 02, 2016, 10:00:01 pm
The idea has been around for yonks.  I have tried it but, while it might work in drier areas, it doesn't seem to work here.  Once the fleece has been flattened by rain, and has a wet surface, the slugs and snails aren't bothered.
As YorkshireLass says, the soil can become unworkable, especially if you use a rotavator or mantis, as the fleece, when unrotted, becomes tangled in the blades.  So overall for me it's a nono.  It's quite useful for covering the compost heap if you have felted fleece.  It reduces the rain and keeps the compost warm and working.  When you use the compost keep back the fleece and use it on the new heap.

Yep, tried it on strawberries years ago - doesn't work up here.
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: DavidandCollette on August 03, 2016, 09:50:59 am
I'm still interested in using call ducks. Apparently they like lettuce so would grow that somewhere else
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: Penninehillbilly on August 03, 2016, 03:01:59 pm
Tried some black fleece round a hostage,  didn't work, but just realised I don't think the has taken came up this year.
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: Fleecewife on August 03, 2016, 06:01:24 pm
Tried some black fleece round a hostage,  didn't work, but just realised I don't think the has taken came up this year.


Sometimes you've got to love spell checker
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: Ina on August 03, 2016, 07:35:02 pm
Tried some black fleece round a hostage,  didn't work, but just realised I don't think the has taken came up this year.


Sometimes you've got to love spell checker

Yes, I'm still puzzled...  ???
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: SallyintNorth on August 03, 2016, 07:45:59 pm
Tried some black fleece round a hostage,  didn't work, but just realised I don't think the has taken came up this year.


Sometimes you've got to love spell checker


Graphic lifted from Facebook - I think that makes it legal?
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: farmers wife on August 03, 2016, 10:16:40 pm
you can buy wool pellets - they dont work
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: Ina on August 04, 2016, 10:00:12 am
Found this in BBC website yesterday - might work better than anything else!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-36955080 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-36955080)

Norway party proposes 'slug hour' to tackle invasive pests
Title: Re: slug and snail repellent - fleece!
Post by: Penninehillbilly on August 04, 2016, 02:17:47 pm
Tried some black fleece round a hostage,  didn't work, but just realised I don't think the has taken came up this year.


Sometimes you've got to love spell checker

LOL, couldn't get the words out to OH for laughing.
HOSTA!!!!!
just changed it again, good job I looked
And the rest should have been something about hosta not coming up this year