Thanks to all, but here's another gardening question...?
Question:You all really helped me on my last question so I didn't pick a best because they were all very useful. I'm working with a very small space when trying to create a vegetable garden. I also have a pool in my back yard and I've noticed worms and slugs and all kinds of stuff down there. Do I need to get rid of these little critters that make my flesh crawl? Will they affect my garden if it's not that close to the planting area ( I have a good sized yard). I also have a ant problem when it gets really hot, what do I do? Thanks in advance!
Answers:
Slugs and snails LOVE you vegetables, especially the larger leafy ones, lettuce cabbage beets etc... just get a slug and snail bait, Deadline is my favorite, but i supplement it with a granule one as well, like corry's. For the ants, if they are not in your garden, and you have no kids or pets, i would get Diazanon or dursban (whichever one thay didn't ban this season) if they are in your garden i would get grant's ants, as it is contained and will not get into your veggies.
I do not like to kill anything..or, introduce chemicals into my garden, Your best natural solution for the slugs, is beer, it will kill the slugs.
plant some mint plants around the area that you want ant free...ants hate mint. also, a line of chaulk around your foundation will prevent ants from entering into your home.
Well worms are great so don't hurt them! They aerate the soil which improves air flow and water drainage. They also breakdown organic matter and leave wonderfully rich "castings" behind (nice words for worm poop but hey this stuff is a great fertilizer!). Slugs on the other hand will wreak havoc on your plants and chew them into oblivion. So... yes off with their heads I say! How you deal with them depends on your point of view on poisons and if you have kids and/or pets as some of the "slug baits" (read "poisons") are toxic to humans and animals. And you don't want to kill off things that eat slugs like ducks, geese, frogs, snakes, and hedgehogs! There are some that are safe for our kids and four-legged friends such as the brand "Sluggo." You can try drowning them in beer traps - yes the little sots have a taste for the hops. Lay a quart glass canning jar on its side and poor some beer in. The yeasty beer attracts the slugs, in they go and off to their demise. The downside - you need to pour this stuff out somewhere - I pour mine into my compost pile. Don't let them sit out or it can get pretty stinky. As far as ants, there are some things to try. I tend to shy away from toxic stuff so here are a few. If you know where the ant hill is, pour a couple of gallons of boiling water into it. Supposedly ants will not cross a line drawn with chalk (yes, regular chalk) or a line made of baby powder. I have used a spray of half vinegar and half water. Use it where ever you see ants. The smell does dissipate, so don't worry!
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