We have a BIG slug problem out here. If Gary and I weren't feeding a colony of feral cats, I don't think we'd care. The slugs are attracted to the cat food. If they're in, around, or near the food, the cats eat them. Slugs automatically mean lung worm for the cats.
It has been a HUGE problem, and any ferals we TNR during spring/summer/fall have them and need to be treated for them.
Last winter we had several ferals we thought had pneumonia and rushed to the vet - and they were full of lung worm. They were too weak to protest being put in a crate.
We have heaps of food grade DE - but we have to spray a rather large area, and it stops being effective when it's wet, which is like most of the time, especially during rainy spring.
We can't use anything to kill them that could hurt the cats walking on it. We're racking our brains to find an alternate solution.
What is something rough the cats won't mind walking on to get to their food that the slugs won't crawl on?
We have large sheets of insulation we used to block wind from blowing under the RV through the winter. We were thinkging about buying large sheets of fine sanding paper and gluing them to it. It would deter the slugs - but will that hurt the cats' paw pads?
We considered large pieces of the fake grass stuff. But I know cats don't like walking on it too much. But they might, to get to the food... but would slugs just crawl across that?
There's also several picnic tables in the RV park in other sites. We could grab one of those. They have metal frames for the benches and top that are made of a rusty metal. The cats obviously can jump up - would the rusty metal supports prevent the slugs from crawling up?
ANY thoughts, suggestions, ideas would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last winter we had several ferals we thought had pneumonia and rushed to the vet - and they were full of lung worm. They were too weak to protest being put in a crate.
We have heaps of food grade DE - but we have to spray a rather large area, and it stops being effective when it's wet, which is like most of the time, especially during rainy spring.
We can't use anything to kill them that could hurt the cats walking on it. We're racking our brains to find an alternate solution.
What is something rough the cats won't mind walking on to get to their food that the slugs won't crawl on?
We have large sheets of insulation we used to block wind from blowing under the RV through the winter. We were thinkging about buying large sheets of fine sanding paper and gluing them to it. It would deter the slugs - but will that hurt the cats' paw pads?
We considered large pieces of the fake grass stuff. But I know cats don't like walking on it too much. But they might, to get to the food... but would slugs just crawl across that?
There's also several picnic tables in the RV park in other sites. We could grab one of those. They have metal frames for the benches and top that are made of a rusty metal. The cats obviously can jump up - would the rusty metal supports prevent the slugs from crawling up?
ANY thoughts, suggestions, ideas would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!