'HOSTA' LA VISTA, BABIES!! (Wilko Slug & Snail Killer)

Member Name: totalserenity

Product:	Wilko Slug & Snail Killer
Date:	14/08/09 (156 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: AN ULTRA EFFECTIVE ECONOMICAL TREATMENT AGAINST SLIMY GARDEN PESTS...

Disadvantages: DANGEROUS TO CHILDREN AND PETS, ALAS.

I have a heavenly Hosta in my garden which is my pride and joy...

I also have a "Penal Slug and Snail Sanctuary" in the derelict garden next door which seemingly houses millions of the little miscreants!

My Hosta is truly beautiful; mature and majestic in her lily-layered leaved loveliness, and produces the most magnificent lilac plumed stalks that are delicately decorated with flowers galore in early summertime.

Now as much as I love my heavenly Hosta, the pesky creeping night-time assassins love her more!

From dusk to dawn the sneaky slime-trailed slugs and snails slither over from 'their' side of my tiny willow woven fence, over to 'my' side to feast upon my beloved plant's succulent tender green leaves and shoots. *Sad face inserted here now please*

It's not just the defenceless Hosta that gets targeted of course; many more of my soft young annuals get honed in on as well - my Dahlias in particular these annoying unwanted garden grass-dwelling guests like to munch on too.

When I was married many moons ago now, my then hubby used to do 'Slug Patrol' every evening past twilight - when the covert killers use to come crawling out of the undergrowth.
Complete with a deep bucket and plastic tweezers my Ex showed as much mercy to them as these little terrorists showed to my glorious gerberas!
Nowadays however, a pathological hatred for anything with a sticky, icky underbelly leaves me now reliant on more chemical means to wage Urban War on the unwanted interlopers.

And this is where Wilko's 'slug & snail killer' comes into it own, as I can't bend very well due to Osteoarthritis or carry a watering can easily due to the weight with dilutable solution in it; so these are easy to distribute with a liberal sprinkle and an echoing 'Cackle' as I fight fire with insecticidal fire against these devastating pests!

Priced on offer recently at £1.79 instead of the usual £2.59 for 800 grams, these bright blue mini pellets contain 3% w/w Metaldehyde contained within this ready-to-use pelleted bait.
The brand is packaged in a huge plastic container complete with child-proof black lid, and is distributed in the UK by 'Wilkinson' who generously offer a free phone Careline number of: 08000 329 329, for any customer queries.

Marketed under 'The Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986', this strong product does indeed have to be handled with care.

Now be prepared for a long read of the bottle's blurb as this is effectively a dangerous substance to use so you, as a responsible gardener, need to know how to use this stuff - plus the dangers to children and animals.

The top write up begins with the safety info which is just to wash your hands after use - common sense stuff really then. I actually distribute mine by 'hand' so wear gardening gloves as I find this method easier in some areas - such as under my treasured Hosta vegetation's soft, voluminous leaves.
When planting early summer pots out with susceptible young seedling annuals, it's always worth scattering a little sprinkling around the inside of the pots in an effort to try and protect these little 'uns while they are at their most vulnerable.

Next there is a very important section to note about keeping away from children in storage and in use, plus pets, as the aforementioned chemical can kill if ingested.

Wilko slug & snail killer mini neon blue granules do contain an animal repellent, but it offers no guarantees that domestic pets will be deterred although the repellent is designed to reduce attractiveness.

Also you are advised not to empty down drains or contaminate the actual product with water when used or in the container.

The manufacturer's stress not to use before rain as obviously it would dilute the effectiveness of this produce, although conversely the optimum time of usage is on a warm, damp evening (just before the little tinkers marshal troops ready to feast once more into the Breech, dear friends!), as this is when the best results are obtained...
Admittedly I was surprised to read these cylindrical small pellets (about 2mm wide x 3-6mm in length, dependant) can be used around edible as well as non-edible plants, although the instructions stress not to sprinkle so that the blue bits fall on or become trapped in leaves in any food crops.

This merchandise can also be used on indoor foliage too if prone to pest infestation of the hole-munching kind!

Simple to distribute, the instructions basically say to scatter thinly about 3-4" apart (75-100mm), whilst not clumping into heaps.

Finishing off with keeping the container out of harm's way, keeping the lid on at all times and storing in a cool dry place, now it's time to tell you if I think this stuff is effective. Folks, is it not?

Well absolutely 'Yes' I do!

You don't notice the results immediately, but after a day or two you will see a marked decrease in the amount of snails and slugs near your tenderlings and established favourites of these unwanted visitors.
Always try and scatter a few around each plant that you know these reprobates will target, as these are places that the little critters tend to sleep as well.

Ingesting this poison takes a wee while to work but the results are astonishing when it does, honestly!

The slugs wither and gradually shrivel rock hard rather than the rubbery texture they usually are. The snails just disintegrate within their shells wherever they fall. I would say judging by the result I have achieved using these pellets it's 100% effective against both these types of gastropods and molluscs, and I have been delighted since using it.

The pellets appear to remain active while ever the weather is fine; once they get wet they go fuzzy round the edges and seem to become inactive then, sadly.

Re-application is at your discretion, however mine get refreshed every time the grass it cut and the borders have a general tidy.

Needless to say it's not as ideal to use as the market leader pet-safe 'Bio', or a 'Sluggit' Solution I once bought that was diluted, and then poured straight over my plants offering protection at the source of the off-grounds leaves, but I got what I paid for at this price and I'm certainly not complaining. The fluorescent quality of the colour I find invaluable too, easier to see the territory I've covered and even when wet the colour is still vivid enough not to miss - an asset indeed for both human and animal alike.

My slugs & snails may be cunning...but not cunning enough to spot the different between a poisonous particle or a tasty omnivorous supper, luckily for me!

You have to take into account environmental factors as well; I live in an upstairs flat and none of my neighbours have young children or any pets so this is as safe as it can be in my area of postage stamp size garden to use...

I have one more application left and that is judging on using it in 10 square metres wide for the previous three attempts - including a liberal dose down the "No Mans Land" sector between the boundaries of good garden and deadly dereliction that I treat twice weekly too.

For me this offers excellent value for money and I store it along with the rest of my gardening gear; plus an essential aid in my never ending (and never-to-win) fight against my lovely foliage being used as a vegetarian Smorgasbord by the cheeky local slimies.

4 Dooyoo Stars awarded today - 1 lost for its possible detrimental effects to innocent others - but a great, effective product to use in the right circumstances, for sure.

Top Tip
*******

Crushed eggshells under your precious preferred plants puts the little tikes off. They hate the sharp edges of the shell against their soft, unprotected underbelly, Mwahhh!

Alternatively, salt sprinkled directly on slugs had a horrendous effect on them - make sure you do this away from paved areas as the bodies swell, fizzle and henceforth implode as they die.

*Murderess carved on my head now, Sorry S&S - it's you or the Hosta - and I know which I love more!*


© Written exclusively for Dooyoo.

Summary: SORRY ABOUT THE TITLE - I JUST COULDN'T RESIST... *SHAME-FACED NOW*!!