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North Vancouver

This didn't strike me as a slug thing, but I had never seen any hint of anything else near the plants. We have very few rodents in north Vancouver, I can count twice I've seen them out and about outside in 10 years here other than squirrels. But these fruit are only about the size of a gumball or golf ball. I don't notice any insects in particular around there other than wood bugs, but I do know there is often ants in the area. I noticed it seems to be one fruit at a time, but it always targets the most promising of the fruits which is driving me nuts. Then today, I caught a slug literally mid feast with its body halfway into the fruit from the top where the flower usually connects. I'm at a loss how to stop this because there are so many leaves and points the slugs or whatever else can use to go up and over and access fruit unless I literally have some kind of solution at every inch surrounding the patch. I am DESPERATE to not have this fail as this has been a lifelong dream to grow my own pumpkin from scratch since I was a kid, and I've had two previous attempts completely and utterly crash and burn due to weather and the ground (not the current site). Someone please help me!

7/9/2020 7:03:29 PM

Grittyville, WA

Yeah they will nibble the fruit if they have nothing else to eat. Wood ash might work better than coffee grounds)
? Or just put slug line around your pumpkin. They crawl up and down the stalks looking for dead flowers to eat but I havent had them damage the vines yet. They will damage a pumpkin though especially if they have a place to hide nearby.

7/10/2020 2:26:28 AM

Central Illinois

I think you can use diatomaceous earth

7/10/2020 5:06:10 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Iron Phosphate or sluggo will do the trick

7/10/2020 7:20:45 AM

Bethlehem CT

I second the sluggo spread it around the fruit, and around the plant. It's very effective and is also a fertilizer.

7/10/2020 8:08:24 AM

Central NY

Good advice and good luck this time around!...

7/10/2020 2:57:46 PM

North Vancouver

When you say around the fruit and around the plants I assume you mean a circle around each fruit (since I have been too scared to prune down to one or two in case they get attacked thus far), and then a larger circle around the group of plants? (three growing in a hill)

7/11/2020 7:24:47 PM

North Vancouver

When you say "THEY will nibble the fruit if there is nothing else to eat", what are you referring to? All of them? Slugs? Ants? Squirrels? Etc....also, with reference to the diamataceous(sic) clay, are we talking kitty litter? I can see how that would work with moisture. Put of curiosity, I live in north Vancouver, BC. We are known for our rain. Hell, it's raining right now lol. Will the kitty litter lose efficiency when it gets wet and saturated?

7/11/2020 7:28:02 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Ducks you need Ducks...

7/12/2020 6:18:22 AM

Bethlehem CT

The best way to handle the slugs is to start applying the sluggo around the plant when it is small and to stay in front of the problem, by re-applying often throughout the season. Rain will shorten the products lifespan. After it gets wet the sluggo pellets sort of puff up and appear to mold. I am not sure if it is actually mold.
The slugs eat the pellets and die, that is how the stuff works.
Since we are already in mid season I would make a circle of sluggo around the fruit and also scatter some in and amongst the plant canopy. I have never seen sluggo burn anything like leaves or vines. I feel it is a pretty safe product and if you are organic it is also a Organic certified product.

7/12/2020 9:35:04 AM