Yesterday I found one daff blown down by the gales; I'm surprised the
rest are all still standing: and as always it had been chewed to bits by
slugs, it got me wondering why the slugs don't climb the daff stems and
have the rest of the flowers,
What is it on daff stems that puts off the slugs?
David @ a breezy side of Swansea Bay

In article ,
David Hill wrote:

Yesterday I found one daff blown down by the gales; I'm surprised the
rest are all still standing: and as always it had been chewed to bits by
slugs, it got me wondering why the slugs don't climb the daff stems and
have the rest of the flowers,
What is it on daff stems that puts off the slugs?

They're dafft? I have seen similar oddities in their attacks on
other plants.

I could say that the wind has been treating my bulbs like Michael
Finnegan, but most simply have peeked out and decided to stay in
bed.

Oh, and I got less than a centimetre of rain last night, despite
the forecast.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , david@abacus-
nurseries.co.uk says...

Yesterday I found one daff blown down by the gales; I'm surprised the
rest are all still standing: and as always it had been chewed to bits by
slugs, it got me wondering why the slugs don't climb the daff stems and
have the rest of the flowers,
What is it on daff stems that puts off the slugs?

Well, you have to consider if the energy output would exceeed the
calorific gain. A full grown slug is only half an inch high; and a
large-cup daffodil may be forty times higher.

People are no different. Fish and chip shops and McDonalds are always
located at street level.I'm pretty sure if they were on the top floor of
a high rise block, few customers would even know they were there.. let
alone make the effort to climb all those stairs.

Janet

In article ,
Janet wrote:
In article , david@abacus-
nurseries.co.uk says...

Yesterday I found one daff blown down by the gales; I'm surprised the
rest are all still standing: and as always it had been chewed to bits by
slugs, it got me wondering why the slugs don't climb the daff stems and
have the rest of the flowers,
What is it on daff stems that puts off the slugs?

Well, you have to consider if the energy output would exceeed the
calorific gain. A full grown slug is only half an inch high; and a
large-cup daffodil may be forty times higher.

It depends on the slug - they grow rather bigger here!

People are no different. Fish and chip shops and McDonalds are always
located at street level.I'm pretty sure if they were on the top floor of
a high rise block, few customers would even know they were there.. let
alone make the effort to climb all those stairs.

The only McDonalds I have ever been to was on the first floor of
Glasgow airport, if I recall. I needed some food, and thought I
should try everything once - since then, if it has been a choice
between McDonalds or nothing, the latter wins hands down.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 15/02/2014 11:46, Janet wrote:
In article , david@abacus-
nurseries.co.uk says...

Yesterday I found one daff blown down by the gales; I'm surprised the
rest are all still standing: and as always it had been chewed to bits by
slugs, it got me wondering why the slugs don't climb the daff stems and
have the rest of the flowers,
What is it on daff stems that puts off the slugs?

Well, you have to consider if the energy output would exceeed the
calorific gain. A full grown slug is only half an inch high; and a
large-cup daffodil may be forty times higher.

That may be true, but IME slugs don't tend to climb very much and snails
do. And they are carrying a lot more weight on their backs!

--

Jeff

In article , lid
says...

On 15/02/2014 11:46, Janet wrote:
In article , david@abacus-
nurseries.co.uk says...

Yesterday I found one daff blown down by the gales; I'm surprised the
rest are all still standing: and as always it had been chewed to bits by
slugs, it got me wondering why the slugs don't climb the daff stems and
have the rest of the flowers,
What is it on daff stems that puts off the slugs?

Well, you have to consider if the energy output would exceeed the
calorific gain. A full grown slug is only half an inch high; and a
large-cup daffodil may be forty times higher.

That may be true, but IME slugs don't tend to climb very much

hah, yours must be weaklings. Ours can slime up walls and glass to the
top of the downstairs windows.

and snails
do. And they are carrying a lot more weight on their backs!

I very rarely see snails here and only those tiny stripy ones. AFAIK,
those big brown mottled ones don't survive in acidic conditions, not
enough calcium to grow the shell.

Janet