Yucky things

21 November 2008

This is where I am to be found of an evening: out in the garden in the dark, searching for icky slugs by torchlight. I have some turnips out there kinda growing, but the slugs find their leaves to be delicious. They are also partial to my onions, many of which have resprouted, but some of which have sweet, rotting bulbs that are just perfect for nibbling, thank you very much.

I had discovered a high-tech solution for my slug problem: nematodes, which are microscopic worms that would find slugs in the soil, enter their bodies, reproduce and kill them with bacteria (and/or laser guns). Then when the slugs cark it, the worms come out and go on their merry little way to the next victim. Making it an effective method of reducing slug numbers, without harming other wildlife such as birds and frogs.

The only problem is, breeding of the worms is on hold now until the spring. Fair enough, but how does that help me defeat all those damn slugs that are outside right now chewing on my weird onions? It doesn’t. So, out I go with my torch, a pair of tweezers and a big jar of salty water into which to drop my catch. Mmm, yum. A piece of advice though: should any of you gardeners try this approach too, please don’t do what I did. Please don’t drop your tweezers into the jar with all the disgusting water and fizzy slugs.

Retrieving the tweezers wasn’t the only foul thing I dealt with yesterday. Earlier in the day Dad and I had finally tracked down the horrid smell that had been lingering under the counter in the kitchen. Pulling the fridge out revealed that instead of perhaps just a few drops of water on the tray above the compressor, there was a thick layer of mouldy cottage cheese. With a number of homemade tools and an old vacuum cleaner we cleared out our unintentional dairy and swilled it through with bleachy water. When Mum returned from work we recounted our deed and it turned out that a jar of cream had tipped over in the fridge around my birthday and evidently an amount had made its way unseen straight down the hole that is designed for the fridge’s self-defrosting ability. And made smelly cheese.

3 Comments Posted in: 30 tiny moments, garden, nablopomo

Comments

3 Responses to “Yucky things”

bethany actually
22nd November 2008 @ 12:47 am

Ewwwwww.
Brenda
22nd November 2008 @ 6:49 pm

Slightly bury a small tuna can in the dirt and then add beer. The slugs will be attracted to the beer and drown themselves. That way you don’t have to use the tweezer method.

Did you know that if you lick a slug, your tongue will go numb? I personally have not tried this, but one of my kids did in outdoor school.
Sarah
23rd November 2008 @ 11:15 am

We had a slug pub when I was a kid, but other critters would wander into it as well, unfortunately.