Eary April? New England? Could it be?

[RayC]

I've been trying to avoid that thought (even though I saw one also during one of the earlier warm spells)
Also have a new plan I'm going to try that I will post about later.

[iann]

Warm here too, and forecast to stay warm. Not 90F though! We just touched 60F today

[fanaticactus]

Have to take the good with the bad. Saw the first slug the other day . A grim reminder of the battle ahead.

I'm fortunate that I don't have that problem (yet, anyway). But I've read that setting out saucers of beer in the garden attracts and kills (drowns?) them. Of course, it might give you a few tipsy birds & squirrels, too. But beer is at least organic (I think).

[Andy_CT]

Beer works to a degree just like slug bait does too but I've found hand to hand combat to be the most effective. Even still they find the Opuntia's and gleefully eat the new growth. I'm just in a bad spot with thousands of them hanging around the area.

[Peterthecactusguy]

Andy,
you try putting a layer of salt around your plants? Of course when I did battle with slugs I got most of them with the beer. My dad got mad at me cause I used to steal his beers to drown the slugs... I guess the good news was at least I wasnt drinking them when I was 10 or so!

[RayC]

I think salt around the plants might be a bad idea. Ammonia from a squirt gun would work also, but overspray onto plants might not be good.

I am thinking about building a toad house or two to see if that might help. Also I could maybe do something to help keep snakes around.


Little change in weather pattern coming up I might have to condsider covering things up for a few nights for tender new growth.

[Andy_CT]

I am thinking about building a toad house or two to see if that might help. Also I could maybe do something to help keep snakes around.

Toads hang out at the prickly shack from time to time

[daiv]

Great pic! Keep that one handy in case we do another "Animals and Cactus" contest!

[king_hedes]

toads are every were here now since it rained
all the rain puddle were solid tadpoles

[John P Weiser]

Slugs??? Toads???
Don't got no Slugs!!:shock: Don't got no toads?? Don't got no skeeters either!!

[Peterthecactusguy]

hahaha at the in-laws we were watching a toad eat cat food out of a bowl. It was funny to watch it stick its tongue out and catch pieces of cat food.

I dont think AZ has slugs. We do have skeeters tho, and about a million mosquito hawks that buzz around into your face and are almost as annoying as their prey. you cant get any malaria from them tho.

[Peterthecactusguy]

BTW Ray C. you are right. I dont think that cacti like salt much either and it would probably wash down into the soil.

[RayC]

Toads hang out at the prickly shack from time to time

Few more of them might keep the slimey things under control

[RayC]

Had to check the garden after warmth and humidity of the past couple day, thought there might be some slugs around,,,,,,,,,,,instead found


There actually was another one on other side, just camera shy. I had added a couple more rocks around the outside of garden to act as hiding places for toads, appears the snakes like them also.

Speaking of warmth, looks like plants were liking it also.

[daiv]

Snakes and toads are handy to have in a garden!

Enjoy the warmth! We're cool, cloudy, and rainy here!