permaculture

[Edward Brown <edward@iinet.net.au>]

Helen - Slaters (or pill millipedes or woodlice as they are known in
other corners of the world) have been a consistent challenge in my own
Perth backyard for years.
The 'beer in a pot in the ground' trick is certainly effective, as long
as the top is covered and time is spent checking the beer at frequent
intervals.
However, this seemed to me to be a very labour intensive method and I
have found that planting seedlings which the slaters don't like is much
more effective!
The underlying issue is that the slaters will forage for decaying
material (e.g Martin's potato peelings, although this is luxury food for
them!)and if they don't find any, they will go for whatever is
available.
Their preference is for decaying stuff, though and as the detritus built
up in our very sandy bare and sandy garden I have had less trouble with
them, despite the fact that there are millions more than there were.
There is another possible angle. Are the slaters being framed?!
In the wee small hours of the night, slugs come out to feed and
frequently attack seedlings before disappearing by the morning.
The slaters are attracted to the slug-chewed seedlings and are still
hanging around to be spotted by the time us humans awaken.
The beer trap will reveal whether there are cunning slugs present!
All the best
Edward.

Helen wrote:
> Does anyone have an environmentally safe answer to slaters?  They have
> chewed their way through several plantings of seedlings, including cherry
> tomatoes, broccoli, basil, beans and lettuce.  I will have to resort to
> growing vegies in pots on the verandah if I can't find some way to keep them
> away from the seedlings - the poor little things don't even last 48 hours in
> the soil, and after growing each one from seed its quite heartbreaking!
> 
> Thanking you for any advice,
> Helen

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  Edward Brown     Design by Nature    Perth - Western Australia
  edward@iinet.net.au            http://www.iinet.net.au/~edward
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