Copper Slug Tape Multibuy 3 x 4m rolls

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So pleased, daren’t put anything outside, especially with all the rain we’ve had without the tape. We tried it last year for the first time and it really did work. Thanks again.

Lettuces planted in the ground were found to be more susceptible to slugs, with 5.7% of each eaten on average. This compares to just 0.2% of those in pots, which, despite this advantage, yielded less crop.Efficacy and environmental fate of copper sulphate applied to Australian rice fields for control of the aquatic snail Isidorella newcombi Jeff Gillman, one of the Garden Professors, commented “When I’ve tested copper the slugs seemed to have a slight preference for not crossing it, but would if that was what they need to do to get where they were going. I’d call it a mild repellant” . I think this is a good summary. Slugs will not go out of their way to cross copper in tape form, but it is not a fool proof solution. Copper sulphate is made by combining copper alloy with sulphuric acid. Whilst sulphur dioxide emissions from power stations have dropped enormously in Western Europe since the 1980s, there is still enough in the atmosphere for rain to contain traces of sulphuric acid. In certain places within the UK you will be receiving higher doses of sulphuric acid in your rain than others. What happens when this acid rain lands on copper alloy tape on your outdoor plant pots? It makes trace amounts of copper sulphate which runs down your pot and into the soil. I therefore put it to you that as the copper tape weathers, in some areas it releases traces of copper sulphate which makes it even more potent, especially on more porous terracotta pots that can hold onto the copper sulphate. If you live in a city there’s probably more chance of copper tape having this effect than if you live in the countryside. I can’t prove that it exists but it would seem logical. Of the thousands of enquiries received by RHS Gardening Advice every year, deterring slugs and snails is atop concern. To ensure we aregiving the best advice on this much-debated topic, we set up a project – Gastropod Barriers– to test whether the most commonly recommended home remedies really work. How we tested the barriers Uniform Application of Copper Sulfate as a Potential Treatment for Controlling Snail Populations in Channel Catfish Production Ponds

Copper DOES work as a slug and snail barrier if the percentage of copper alloy is high enough and the width is in excess of 4 cms. Don’t waste money on any of the other ‘gardening’ products tested above and be cautious of using anything else that comes in a similar sized box ( or from a matching production line…). The attention to detail in this study, and the use of the leaf area meter, lets us be more precise and confident in the results." What’s next for slug and snail research?While this research hasn’t shed any light on what you can do to obstruct slugs and snails, it has at least shown that these barriers can be unreliableand ineffective. But Dr Hayley Jones, entomologist at the RHS and lead researcher, said: “With the likes of eggshells, barks and mulch so far proving no discernible deterrent to slugs and snails, we would recommend using proven formulas like nematode biological control if the damage is just too much to bear.” But wool pellets and pine bark did have one clear benefit: by acting as a fertiliser and mulch, they helped lettuces yield a 50% bigger crop. Clearly you like Teh Science so here’s a data base of studies for inverts. http://www.pesticideinfo.org/List_AquireAcuteSum.jsp?Rec_Id If you want to protect your plot from slugs and snails, these trialled remedies just won't cut it. You may need to try something different. What can I do?

Jones added: “Slug pellets do have their problems but they have been tested for safety and when used to their manufacturers’ instructions the risks are quite minimal. It becomes dangerous for pets and other wildlife when they are overapplied.” According to the RHS, some slug species have clear benefits for gardeners, such as the leopard slug, which eats fungi and rotting material, helping recycle garden nutrients. SPECIAL OFFER - These His and Hers Solitary Bee Houses are wall mountable wooden bee houses that have been designed… I have had a respectable amount of success in slug deterrence using copper mesh as a slug barrier on the outside of wood planters. The mesh is about 5″ wide, which is wider than any of the copper tapes I have seen for sale, and it’s easier to work with compared to the super delicate copper tape I tried, the tape I tried, and it’s easy enough to reuse (although not adhesive on it’s own)As members of the Mollusca group of animals, slugs and snails use Hemocyanin proteins in their blood to transport oxygen around their bodies ( whereas we mammals use iron based Hemoglobin). These Hemocyanin proteins contain two copper atoms. This makes all molluscs very sensitive to the ingestion of additional quantities of copper. Too much copper and it prevents oxygen from moving around their bodies and they eventually die, unless they flee to safety. Thanks for taking the time to research & test these – very interesting results, and I hadn’t considered the rain factor before. I’ve tested solid copper rings which I made from some spare copper roofing strip. Did it work? Yes and No; the difference is oxidation.