Hand picking slugs (and snails) - does anyone else do this regularly?

Are you a regular hand-picker of the munching devils?

I've treated the soil with Nemaslug and as a backup I also saunter out every night at about 11pm picking up slugs and a few snails - on average I flatten about 30 per night (less in dryer weather). Thankfully they are no longer as prolific as when I first started to hand pick the little beggars - my haul was well over 100 on my first slug pick a couple of weeks ago!

I'll never get rid of them all of course, but I can at least do a little to keep their numbers in check.

 

I just upturn pots laying the on their sides and the birds munch them. My place is crawling with slug hiding spots but luckily theres so many birds about the plants are safeish.Loads of hostas and no slug damage,weird I know.

 

I'm tempted to start collecting all of mine in a pot, leave them overnight then empty them onto the drive next morning as breakfast for the birds.

 

Only bird I've ever seen eat a slug is a crow, and even then they take their time about it, as if they would prefer something else.

Seen thrushes eat snails, but we dont get any thrushes round here anymore.
We are alive with snails at the moment.
Needs a prolonged dry spell.

 

I know that song thrushes eat slugs but had assumed that other birds of that size (and smaller) might go for the smaller slugs (averaging about one to one and a half inches, which is mostly what I find (and squash)).

 

Its a funny old world. Where I am we have loads of different birds including thrush`s and I honestly havent seen a snail in the garden in 20 years?

A strange little country indeed where the wildlife and weather can vary by so much.

 

Ducks

 

Alright duck.
Where can I get some?

 

Well, if you want, I could hatch some eggs for you

 

My pond is not big enough

 

Chickens also like to eat slugs don't they?

 

Time you built a bigger pond?

 

Not as often as others like to pretend Well, not when there are juicy greens to be had (if the slugs left any, that is).