May - Slugs & Snails... Arrrrh!!!!!!!!!

I woke up this morning to find the wind howling and it pouring with rain (again) and ventured down to the chile house only to be confronted by a scene of utter carnage. Despite my little darlings been locked up safely in the chile house, sheltered from the elements and away from the dangers of next doors prowling cats, an even more devious and savage enemy had infiltrated my defences – the dreaded slugs and snails.

I really hate these little bastards and the local ‘Darlington snails & slugs’ seem to be a particularly cunning, vicious and heartless breed. Despite have hundreds of tender and tasty varieties like Cayenne, Explosive Ember and Bolivian Rainbow to munch on (and I don’t mind loosing a few of them), they always single out the rarer varieties and the ones I’m most looking forward to growing & eating. The battle scene is a sorry tale of woe and amongst those felled with the expertise of a lumberjack are three Naga Morich plants, two Aji Omnicolor plants, two out of three Thai oranges and my only Capsicum Flexuosum.

I’m absolutely gutted and this is war!! If you’re having the same problems and want more information on how best to tackle these little sods (and other nasty critters), check out the Chilemans guide to pests & diseases.