(27 July 2013, 10:14)bigpaul Wrote: [ -> ]i'm not sure about snails but slugs eat dog (and other) poo so they are good for something.
Please remember that slugs are poisonous to dogs
They say that by planting marigolds between your food crops keeps away many of these beasties
My brother in law keeps quails in his ( huge ) greenhouse, they control some pests, but my polytunnel has been so hot this summer I don't think they'd survive. I use slug pellets, sprinkled down the edge of the plastic sheet where they hide.
Slug beer traps work really well, as do half grapefruits dotted around the place. You can buy animal friendly slug/snail repellents which I use occasionally - they work quite well. Just be careful that your dogs don't get a chance to eat slugs - they have a parasite called heartworm which can kill.