What? Slugs, too, now?
As if the various trials and tribulations described in my previous post weren't enough, slugs have started to ravage two of my favorite dudleyas, Dudleya brittonii...
 |
| Dudleya brittonii |
...and Dudleya arizonica:
 |
| Dudleya arizonica |
Normally these dudleyas are covered with a white waxy powder called farina (see below), but the torrential rains in December washed much of that off.
 |
| Same Dudleya brittonii as above |
Maybe that lack of powder has made it easier for the slimy slugs to chew off the outer layer of skin? We've certainly have occasional slug damage on dudleyas before, but never to this extent.
Slugs (and grubs, maggots, and the like) are my kryptonite, and the mere thought of picking them off by hand at night sends me into fits of revulsion. Fortunately, there's Sluggo, a pet- and wildlife-safe product that poisons slugs with iron phosphate, which occurs naturally in soil.
I wonder what's next? A swarm of locusts? Frogs falling from the sky?
In the meantime, while I'm waiting for the next calamity, I'd love a bit more rain. The soil is starting to dry out...
© Gerhard Bock, 2022. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.
Snails and slugs are such opportunists! Knowing nothing at all about their reproduction (and not seeking any insight there), you have to wonder if they hold orgies as soon as rain begins to fall. When I see signs of them I use Sluggo too but (knock wood) I've yet to see any this year. My soil is already so dry in many areas, I've had to water succulents. I hope your Dudleyas recover their former glory.
ReplyDeleteI think it's been so cold since it rained my snails/slugs are still in hibernation. Mornings have been routinely between 28-32 for weeks. I've already broadcasted Sluggo about lavishly-it is starting to warm up in the day and if we get rain this month (please!) they will be coming out in droves. I would be so upset if they took after any of my Dudleyas-especially brittonii-since I lose them routinely.
ReplyDeleteThe past decade of off- and mostly-on drought has proven devastating to the neighborhood snail and slug population. That and the death of multiple Eucalyptus globulus in the neighborhood have been pluses. Guess it helps to look at the positives few though they are.
ReplyDeleteHope your lovely Dudleyas recover swiftly. Such a beautiful genus.
I occasionally use Sluggo, usually after I notice the damage. If it rains after the application (which is normal in my parts), the product is wasted. I kind of given up: I grow too much of the snails and slugs' favorite food. I just make sure not to step on them ;-D
ReplyDelete