This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------080003040707050408020001 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Just watching a science program on flatworms and a piece on the earthworm-eating flatworms in Great Britain was part of the show. It suddenly occurred to me that perhaps it's flatworms that are eating up the slugs(...?). The program talked about how the flatworms track prey by following a slime trail; slugs certainly leave those. Diane. --------------080003040707050408020001 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Just watching a science program on flatworms and a piece on the earthworm-eating flatworms in Great Britain was part of the show. It suddenly occurred to me that perhaps it's flatworms that are eating up the slugs(...?). The program talked about how the flatworms track prey by following a slime trail; slugs certainly leave those.
Diane.
--------------080003040707050408020001--
This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------090306020706030407020604 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Moira, I know these flatworms are indigenous to New Zealand; I cannot remember what the slug sitauation is there. Are there a great deal of slugs in gardens, or more snails? If there are very many more snails it might suggest the flatworms do eat slugs, yes? Diane Tony and Moira Ryan wrote: > Diane Ridout wrote: > >> Just watching a science program on flatworms and a piece on the >> earthworm-eating flatworms in Great Britain was part of the show. It >> suddenly occurred to me that perhaps it's flatworms that are eating up >> the slugs(...?). The program talked about how the flatworms track prey >> by following a slime trail; slugs certainly leave those. >> >> Diane. > > > I guess if they have eaten all the worms in an area it would be a > question of find an alternative or starve, but whether they can adapt so > much I don't know. Personally, if I was a flatworm I think I would feel > slugs (ugh!) are a poor substitute for worms . > > Moira > -- > Tony & Moira Ryan, > Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:- > http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm > NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004 > --------------090306020706030407020604 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Moira,
I know these flatworms are indigenous to New Zealand; I cannot remember what the slug sitauation is there. Are there a great deal of slugs in gardens, or more snails? If there are very many more snails it might suggest the flatworms do eat slugs, yes?
Diane
Tony and Moira Ryan wrote:
Diane Ridout wrote:
Just watching a science program on flatworms and a piece on the
earthworm-eating flatworms in Great Britain was part of the show. It
suddenly occurred to me that perhaps it's flatworms that are eating up
the slugs(...?). The program talked about how the flatworms track prey
by following a slime trail; slugs certainly leave those.
Diane.
I guess if they have eaten all the worms in an area it would be a
question of find an alternative or starve, but whether they can adapt so
much I don't know. Personally, if I was a flatworm I think I would feel
slugs (ugh!) are a poor substitute for worms G.
Moira
--
Tony Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004
--------------090306020706030407020604--
In a message dated 7/27/04 6:11:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time, kmarsh@IOL.IE
writes:
<< Checked with a heavily flatworm infested friend who hasn't seen an
earthworm in his garden for a long time. Slug population appears to have
multiplied recently he says - he reckons they are increasing because there
is more vegetable matter around for them because the earthworms aren't
eating it >>
I haven't seen any earthworms in my garden here in New York this year, but I
attributed it to the moles and shrews that are everywhere this year.
Mary Ann
Diane Ridout wrote:
I guess if they have eaten all the worms in an area it would be a
question of find an alternative or starve, but whether they can adapt so
much I don't know. Personally, if I was a flatworm I think I would feel
slugs (ugh!) are a poor substitute for worms
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004
Checked with a heavily flatworm infested friend who hasn't seen an
earthworm in his garden for a long time. Slug population appears to have
multiplied recently he says - he reckons they are increasing because there
is more vegetable matter around for them because the earthworms aren't
eating it
kthryn
Diane Ridout wrote:
> Hi Moira,
> I know these flatworms are indigenous to New Zealand; I cannot
> remember what the slug sitauation is there. Are there a great deal of
> slugs in gardens, or more snails? If there are very many more snails
> it might suggest the flatworms do eat slugs, yes?
Well actually Diane there is a very curious situation here as the
flatworm in its NZ home is extremely rarely encountered even in the bush
and has never been found in a garden, so almost nothing is known about
its local habits.. Most people (myself included) have never seen one.
How it managed to hitch a ride overseas is an ongoing mystery.
I understand its principal food in its home teritory is certainly worms,
of which there are a number of native species still to be found in bush
habitats.. There are also several native snails and a few slugs, though
all these would be rare nowadays and regularly getting rarer due to
introduced predators and loss of habitat, so I doubt the local
population of the flatworm gets much chance to try this change of diet.
All the worms in gardens and farmland are immigrants from Europe.
In gardens our main molluscid pest is undoubtedly the introduced Helix
snail, which can reach almost epidemic proportions in some years. In
this part of the country at least slugs are quite uncommon and I don't
think cause much trouble. They occasionally appear in my glasshouse
where they can be found in the daytime snoozing under pots, and I once
caught a couple in springtime feeding on the petals a yellow crocus, but
mostly they are little bother.
Try some of the Irish folk, they might have something more definite to
say about your theory!
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004
Kathryn Marsh wrote:
Darn - was a pleasant notion, anyway...
