the slimey hoard

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the slimey hoard
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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46247
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Aug 19, 18 11:18 pm Post subject: the slimey hoard

i had a very interesting few minutes with a slug and a ( 3w led improved) maglight.

they can be herded sheepdog style, even slightly to one side and in front they will swing away from the spot.

on them they do a strait line, behind them they do a strait line to the darkness in front of them

in front they will swerve the bright spot if they approach it, it it meets them they power on through

i will consider how this knowledge might be relevant.
a light based barrier does seem plausible

so do slugtorch trials ( like sheepdogperson ones but with less sheep n dogs and more slugs and torches ), empty salad beds against the clock could be a great one for the bookies. chances are skill matters so knowing form or having skills could be a nice earner

would it work on telly?

i dont grow salad, i only grow things slugs don't like

not quite a slime rant but i can clear a small challenging space in which to grow stuff but keeping it clear with no effective perimeter is a problem. grrrrrr.

a barrier that makes them turn, does not have "side effects", is cost effective and reliable might be quite popular among growers at every scale. umm.

suggestions for the R n D gratefully received.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15997

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 18 6:54 am Post subject:
A ring of overlapping light pools from solar powered lights might be an effective way of detering them from salad crops. Might be worth the R&D.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 18 9:48 am Post subject:
That'll do slug, that'll do. I wonder if sensors would be able to pick up the slug movement to turn on the lights as they go by or if they move to slow to trigger one?

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 18 7:15 pm Post subject:

sgt.colon wrote:

That'll do slug, that'll do.

I wonder if sensors would be able to pick up the slug movement to turn on the lights as they go by or if they move to slow to trigger one?

The usual kind of sensors for this purpose are passive infra red & I doubt that slugs would be warm enough.
There will be some way to detect them though...

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46247
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 18 10:06 am Post subject:
i was not thinking slug activated as a simple line of light ( hose style xmas lights? or a fibre optic rope light ) should turn them if it can be arranged to work like the herding thing and present a light gradient from side to side for proof of principle a lettuce in a bowl will do as bait

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 18 2:23 pm Post subject:

Upside down, half oranges, juiced first, so hollow, will attract slugs in at the end of the night's feeding then you go down before dusk starts and oust them to their demise-my penknife was how I did it. But... you need a lot of oranges and you must be diligent and prepared to kill! There is also the buried bottle with a beer or sugar solution in and the penknife is now redundant as they say they drown, drunk, I have never done this!

Looking at your herding system with lights could you turn the lights to guide the slugs to a point where they mount a wheel which on turning will produce the electricity to keep the lights shining by powering a battery charger...? to get more slugs on you will have to have a removal point.
I expect a cut of the rights, dpack, and don't tell the others.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46247
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 18 4:49 pm Post subject:

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15997

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 18 6:00 am Post subject:
I use beer traps. It works well. Like the idea of the slug operated generator though.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 18 9:53 am Post subject:
And funnily enough I could see DPAck inventing something like that.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46247
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 18 2:34 pm Post subject:
i would not expect to get many mega watts from a slug. perhaps a million slugs on a treadmill ..... no just do go there the light thing was quite a strong response once i found out about angles etc .

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 18 3:24 pm Post subject:

gregotyn wrote:

Upside down, half oranges, juiced first, so hollow, will attract slugs in at the end of the night's feeding then you go down before dusk starts and oust them to their demise...

I wondered about automating a system like this: have the traps on a lever so that when day breaks, they're lifted into the air for the birds to get.
A couple of bands of copper and zinc on the pole would stop them escaping down it...
I suppose it might be a bit evil if the birds don't get them and they die slowly of dessication...

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 18 3:55 pm Post subject:
This thread is turning into a house of horrors

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 18 5:10 pm Post subject:

Hairyloon wrote:

gregotyn wrote:

Upside down, half oranges, juiced first, so hollow, will attract slugs in at the end of the night's feeding then you go down before dusk starts and oust them to their demise...

I have been led to believe that slugs can cope with a bit of desiccation - you'd need to have an umbrella in case of rehydration by rain.

Henry

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46247
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 18 7:32 pm Post subject:

sgt.colon wrote:

This thread is turning into a house of horrors

best not to mention 20000v across copper strips an inch apart.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 18 7:44 pm Post subject:

dpack wrote:

sgt.colon wrote:

This thread is turning into a house of horrors

best not to mention 20000v across copper strips an inch apart.

Copper & zinc is more than enough volts to upset a slug.

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