There may be a question as to the beer being fresh or stale. The beer will GO stale, eventually. 
We have so much Hosta her now it is spliing time and we are having a big splitting party this weekend.I have my eye on the one with the HUGE light green leaves,shoot I'll take any that comes along.
Good luck with it,they are just too pretty to be eaten,how bout a shot gun?
Beer has been a staple for many gardners; it attracts the little buggers......just place some in a flat pan or dish and the go to it and will drown themselves. OR, there is a product at Lowe's or Home Depot called slug bait; pellets fo some sort that you sprinke out around your plants which is toxic to them. They eat and die.
There may be some herbs or other natural remedies that someone may know of as a more humane way to deter them, I hope so.
You might check the internet for gardening topics dealing with slug and snail control. Good Luck
Lynn, happened to find this article I think you'll find helpful:
-------------------------
Banish Garden Pests Naturally
By Sher Holloway
Everyone loves beautiful plants, but most of us really don't care for the pests that sometimes go along with them. If you love plants but hate bugs, you can get rid of the naturally. Below are some great natural pest control remedies for those unwanted creepy-crawlies.
* Get rid of slugs and snails by spreading crushed eggshells where they are prone to travel. They won't travel over the rough surface and if they do, it's ``Good-bye, slug.''
* You can also get rid of snails and slugs with yucky, cheap beer. Just fill a jar lid with beer and place it where snails and slugs like to hang out. It's best to get it as flush with the ground as possible, so you may have to dig a little indention in the dirt.
* Want one more slug remedy? Coffee is a great fix as well. Spread your used coffee grounds around slug- or snail-infested areas.
* Ants are no fun. To get rid of them, make a bait of 99% sugar and 1% boric acid. Remember to keep the mixture away from kids and pets.
* Ladybugs are a natural pest remedy too! They eat aphids, and in the words of the all-powerful Martha, that's a good thing. Most experts agree that purchased lady bugs are not always the best for controlling aphids and that it's better to attract them naturally. You can do that by planting parsley, wild buckwheat, white sweet clover, tansy, sweet fennel, sweet alyssum, spearmint, Queen Anne's lace, hairy vetch, flowering buckwheat, crimson clover, cowpeas, common knotweed, caraway and black locust.
* Make your own "insecticide" using only three simple and non-toxic ingredients. Take a bar of Ivory Soap and drop it in two cups of water. Allow it to sit overnight. You want much of it to dissolve. The next morning, remove what has not dissolved and put the mixture in a spray bottle along with 1/4 cup corn oil. Shake well. Spray on infested plants, both the top and bottom of the leaves.
* Remember that many pests really don't like certain plants such as mint, marigolds, garlic and basil. They make a perfect natural pest repellent! Try mingling some of these with other plants or flowers to ward off unwanted insects.
* Flies are not necessarily a garden pest, but they most definitely qualify as unwanted pests. You can help keep them out of your house by keeping potted basil around as well as citrus peel pomanders.
* I love to look at deer, but if they are eating your garden away, there are some natural remedies. Mix one tablespoon of liquid dish detergent with one ounce of hot sauce into one liter of water, and spray plants that deer have been eating.
* If you have a large area you need to make less attractive to hungry deer, try this mixture: 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoon of cooking oil, 2 gallons of water, 2 tablespoons of liquid detergent and two whole eggs. Mix it up and pour it into a spray bottle. The eggs will help it stick to plants through a light rain, but it will have to be reapplied after a heavy rain.
� Sher Holloway
[This message has been edited by weeza3 (edited 27 May 2005).]
Nothing like a tuna-can-full of ossified slugs,ossified by beer. There may be a question as to the beer being fresh or stale. The beer will GO stale, eventually.
Mo
hehe!3greatkids (1greatmom) that's Garden Goddess, i have a t-shirt to prove it!
hi Lynn! depends on what critters are eating them. are they of insect or mammal variety?
if it is insect damage, Weez is right, probably slugs, they thrive in the conditions hostas do, and the hostas provide ideal shelter as well. use diatomaceous earth, sprinkle fairly heavy over the ground around in the hosta bed. crushed egg shells is also good. and beer traps, just dump them every morning.
some other bugs will eat holes in the leaves too. a good natural repellant spray is to make a 'tea' with 1 cup of geranium plant and 1 cup of marigold plant to a gallon of water. spray well on the leaves, bottom sides too. or sprinkle with seven dust.
if your pests are the mammal kingdom, sprinkle blood meal around the plants. dh has a hosta bed and he actually pees on them himself occasionally (he's just not QUITE housebroken )... good animal repellant - and easy! - plus the plants love the ammonia.
UNLESS it is GOATS! then just dig up all your hostas and give them to your friends
i say that because my sister has 8 little goats, hosta eating fools i was visiting the other day, petting little "gidgy"... the little snot ate some of my hair! slick and quick, looks like i let the granddaughter play with scissors 
[This message has been edited by Loribelle (edited 28 May 2005).]
quote:
Originally posted by Raskilnokov:
Allow me to mail you, fresh from Alaska, bear scat to ward off the unwelcome intruder!At least that's the idea expressed on thread "who would like hair from a black bear?". Interesting idea, don't know if it would work.
hahaha! by golly, THAT'd do it!
Any help with nasty scale on our Holly bushes?
Seems chemicals are the only advice I'm getting cause the baby eaters go into a white cottony looking substance to hide and are protected by that. Do you know the best time to spray? How do you know when they come out from under the cocoon like covering?
I have alot of hosta as borders in my flower beds. I started using something to keep my dogs from digging up my flowers and it seemed to run the centapede bugs away. I had tons of those things in my flower beds.
Moth balls. The dogs won't go any where near my flower beds now. You do have to replace them after a while the watering disolves them but they have worked for bugs and the digging dogs.
How are ya honey?How was the season?Our High school did pretty well this year in Bball,winning up in the state finals somewhere.
Are you guys out for summer?I put my seat belt on and am ready for some fun,not too much sun though,darn meds!
Hope you and familia are making good progress with you treatments!Are you feeling better?
Take care SBM,I'm driving down to Kings soon.Softshell crab season is in and they make the BEST sandwich,I can see those legs hanging off the bun now!!
I am doing well. Just a few quirks here and there.
Softball is going well. Not as good as I hope. Middle school went 7 wins and 7 loses. But that is good compared to only 3 wins last year. Next year I am alost certain they will go conference. The pitcher I have moving up from 11 and twelve is alsome. She is actually pitching for my husbands 16 and under team. She is only 12.
My 9 and 10,s are having a hard season. The pitchers I have there I just started last August so they are strugling. But they are doing well for the little time they have been at it. I look to see a promicing season when they move up. They just need time.
I am starting 15 little ones in lessons that will run all year. 6, 7 and 8 year olds. That should really help out when they start pitching at the 9 and 10 level.
My sons 7 and 8 year old Baseball team came in first in their league and won 2nd in the tournament.They all cried when they lost the chapionsip by 1 run in the 7th inning. It was sad.
But they are some little ball playing fools. It is amazing how well those little guys can play ball.
Sorry to take over this topic with ball.
Enjoy those crab sandwitches. I am ready for the summer too.
Miss you guys. Hope to be back to post more soon.
Cindy
quote:
Originally posted by Mo:
My slugs only drink Guiness..Mo
Only the best!
Your slugs must croak with a broagh.
goat-chewed hosta
Goats make for interesting hairdressers..
and you can tell them all your deep dark secrets..
Mo
Our hosta here doesn't seem to get that big.
Loribelle,watch out for those critters,man look what they did to that hosta.
The one pictured on the very right,that is the plant I got this weekend.The leaves,when left to grow,will really get big and the color is so beautiful.Put it in yesterday and mixed with the rest of the hosta,it adds a real pop!I'm adding some other shade plants for color but this hosta is center stage!I am adding coleus,begonia,impatiens for shade.
I bought coleus for full sun,has anyone ever had these?The colors are gorgeous.
Well,have a good one,hard to believe,my kids are finished with school and I'm out in the AM watering the plants.