Astro slugs...

[emadmoussa]

Strange title for last night's report - I agree. Why? Well, for the life of me most times I go Messier hunting I end up slug slaughtering. I think there's a bizarre relation between Charles Messier and the local slugs, something tells me he was incarnated into a slug.

Nah, but seriously, I started the evening by trying to sort out the strange ''alignment failed'' message I kept getting on my handset. And yes the alignment was correct, but somehow the right target wasn't the right target for the handset. Eventually, since I can't afford wasting the evening, I settled with manually hunting for Messier objectsusing a rough guide by Google star map -- man, I was on fire...one hit after another...one Messier object after another. Until....a creepy feeling developed on my foot. I wanted to scratch and ...yikes!!!! It was the largest creepiest slug. You know the film Tremors? Yes, it was the little cousin.

I turned the light on to discover that I was literally under siege by an army of slugs, two of which where comfortably climbing their way up the tripod. How disgusting is that?! I struggle to keep my gear dustless and the last thing I want is slug trail next to Skywatcher logo. Even more disguising...it seems that while I was hunting Messier objects unaware of the freak attack, I was steadily smashing more slugs under my feet and rolling on them with my adjustable stool.

Well, the hunt had to come to an end and the salt war had to commence. Apart from the astro slugs, the evening was fruitful and I really enjoyed it.

Let the slugs be with you!

Just saying..

[Pig]

Do slugs serve any fruitful purpose ?

Apparently we are " under attack " by a new generation of slugs that are much larger and very difficult to kill, they also have a greater reproduction success rate.

So it not looking good for the lettuce.

[allcart]

Yup, a nice ring of salt around your observing area will keep the demons out. Its a line they dare not cross. You could try chucking some over the nieghbours fence. It might keep them out of your way too. Slugs or salt...either may work.

[emadmoussa]

Few months back we had an attack like this, but with the salt war I thought I eliminated them. Obviously they're back - something tells me they love astronomy as they're rarely out when I'm not out

[emadmoussa]

Yup, a nice ring of salt around your observing area will keep the demons out. Its a line they dare not cross. You could try chucking some over the nieghbours fence. It might keep them out of your way too. Slugs or salt...either may work.

Considering the type of neighbour, i was tempted to throw them into his garden D:

[VigdisVZ]

Hahaha! My dad made the local newspaper a while back when he put up a sign outside his house: "Free slugs, pick em yourselves!"

Give em hell soldier!

[Watchman]

We have ridiculous numbers of slugs here, and if the dog goes out for a poo at night and you dont clear it up till morning, by the time your out there its like a free buffet and they are all over it. Its vile... I hate the things. I'm sure they have some purpose in the world but for the life of me I cant see what. Maybe just to eat dog poo.. Who knows.

Also they really ARE getting bigger, we get huge things in the garden...

[emadmoussa]

I was thinking if one these went on the telescope I would've added another counterweight

[cotterless45]

We round up our Gastropods and relocate them to the countryside. No use slinging them next door, they've got a homing instinct.

nothing as satisfying as a manual search, so often there's just enough time unless we get

clear skies,

Nick.

[Sp@ce_d]

Nematodes.. We water them in to all the veg & flower beds 3 times over the course of the growing season.. Definitely makes a difference

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jason.p]

We have ridiculous numbers of slugs here, and if the dog goes out for a poo at night and you dont clear it up till morning, by the time your out there its like a free buffet and they are all over it. Its vile... I hate the things. I'm sure they have some purpose in the world but for the life of me I cant see what. Maybe just to eat dog poo.. Who knows.

Also they really ARE getting bigger, we get huge things in the garden...

When I was contract lawn mowing one of the worst things was hitting slugs on dog poo with the strimmer. The most difficult thing was trying not to lick my lips on the way back to the the van to clean up

[nameunknown]

OK, so we have people standing inside rings of salt at the dark of the moon and muttering to the sky in the middle of the night....

..wasn't that something you could burnt at the stake for?

P

[Davey-T]

As I remember James saying once "those slugs make a messier garden"

Dave

[Tim]

Do slugs serve any fruitful purpose ?

Apparently we are " under attack " by a new generation of slugs that are much larger and very difficult to kill, they also have a greater reproduction success rate.

So it not looking good for the lettuce.

They serve a purpose in my house, SLOW WORM FOOD! We collect them every night. Not all slugs are bad slugs though, some eat other slugs, and some eat dog [removed word]

[Tim]

Hhmmmm, the removed word rhymes with Burd

[emadmoussa]

They serve a purpose in my house, SLOW WORM FOOD! We collect them every night. Not all slugs are bad slugs though, some eat other slugs, and some eat dog [removed word]

I don't have any dogs and I simply don't want them to compete against me in the Messier Marathon

[emadmoussa]

Hhmmmm, the removed word rhymes with Burd

I am afraid I'll have close this thread if we continue using words that rhyme with ''burd'' and ''bit'' :D Nah, just yanking you since you're a staff - boss undercover so to speak !!

[JamesF]

I wonder if a copper collar around each leg of the tripod would keep them off it?

James

[David Smith]

You have slugs, James has frogs and I get snails. Dozens of them, walking down the garden path sounds like I am walking on bubble wrap. This leads to the birds decending for a feast while the cat thinks all her christmasses have come at once.

[AllanJ]

Try eating lots of pistachio nuts and dropping the shells around the tripod. Keeps them off my hostas, anyway.

Allan

[emadmoussa]

Try eating lots of pistachio nuts and dropping the shells around the tripod. Keeps them off my hostas, anyway.

Allan

I actually find observing and snacking a bit of a hassle - I always have my hands full of handset, eyepieces or caps etc....my ideal solution is a mini auto machine gun to set the parameters for them

[Pig]

Hhmmmm, the removed word rhymes with Burd

Do you mean shog dit

[LukeSkywatcher]

I had a long thin slug in the kitchen the other night (must have come in on the dogs fur). I went to get something to pick it up with and when i turned around,the slug was gone and the dog was licking her lips. The dog is like a waste disposal unit.

[emadmoussa]

I had a long thin slug in the kitchen the other night (must have come in on the dogs fur). I went to get something to pick it up with and when i turned around,the slug was gone and the dog was licking her lips. The dog is like a waste disposal unit.

I thought slugs and and snails were fatal for dogs?

[JamesF]

I thought slugs and and snails were fatal for dogs?

Only if they're packing a 9mm Uzi

(Actually I think it's a parasite that they carry that is bad for dogs.)

James