You don't use fly spray to kill lobsters (1 Viewer)

[greykangaroo]

SLATERS IN THE GARDEN
Slaters are crustaceans and are related to crabs, lobsters and prawns. They are one of only two groups of crustaceans that left the water on a permanent basis and still need some moisture to survive. They have changed very little since they first moved on to land.


To me they seem like little armadillos of South America.




An unusual thing is happening in the gardens in Perth Western Australia.
It seemed forever that we had slater bugs everywhere in the garden. Turn over any rock, pot or brick and there was a swarm underneath.
Until now. All the slaters have gone for no reason.
They say that slaters need moisture to survive and a lot of it. Our climate is drying but we still have our sprinklers and hoses to water.
Why did they die out? It is a mystery.


Meanwhile, over in the Queensland outback, an incredible event of nature has been recorded. Billions of slaters heading off somewhere no one can imagine. This is semi-desert country and I couldn't imagine slaters being there in the first place, let alone in their billions.
See the photos below of this phenomenon of nature

 

[KC Foggin]

I've never heard of these critters. Gonna have to do some research on them.
Thanks greykangaroo!

 

[Andy Adcock]

I've never heard of these critters. Gonna have to do some research on them.
Thanks greykangaroo!

Known in the UK as Woodlice, turn over any rock in my garden when I was a kid and youd find them.

 

[greykangaroo]

I've never heard of these critters. Gonna have to do some research on them.
Thanks greykangaroo!

Hello KC, it's good to see an American friend.
You might like to check out the Crusader bug here too.

It is a species of insect in the family Coreidae known by the common names crusader bug and holy cross bug. It is distributed in Australia, Indonesia, and the Indo-Pacific. The insect can be seen in most habitat types, from urban areas to the coastal heath, except for the desert.
They are on my lemon tree I notice. This is their favorite food.
Adults and nymphs prefer to feed on new shoots, piercing plants with their sucking mouthparts. Feeding causes the area above to wilt and die. They are most active in spring/summer/autumn.

Control of crusader bugs is rarely required. If more than 25% of young shoots are infested, spot spray with a selective insecticide.
Many predators control crusader bugs including birds, spiders, assassin bugs and parasitic wasps.

​

 

[Ignatius]

Yup. Slaters/woodlice are called Landassel in German, and like Mr. Adcock said, when I was a kid there were hundreds of them in dark, dank areas of the garden, lurking under rocks, rotting twigs and leaves. They have a relative called Kellerassel who used to scurry around in our cellar under the fruit and veg rack.

I don't get the allusion to fly spray in the thread title though.

 

[dantheman]

Slaters are also a common denizen of our sandy/rocky shorelines. I guess they must be well set up for dry environments too ..

 

[Andy Adcock]

Yup. Slaters/woodlice are called Landassel in German, and like Mr. Adcock said, when I was a kid there were hundreds of them in dark, dank areas of the garden, lurking under rocks, rotting twigs and leaves. They have a relative called Kellerassel who used to scurry around in our cellar under the fruit and veg rack.

I don't get the allusion to fly spray in the thread title though.

Nor I?

Incidentally, Woodlice can be eaten if you're in a spot, they taste like shrimp, we ate them when on 'fieldcraft' exercises with the army cadets.

 

[KC Foggin]

Hello KC, it's good to see an American friend.
You might like to check out the Crusader bug here too.

It is a species of insect in the family Coreidae known by the common names crusader bug and holy cross bug. It is distributed in Australia, Indonesia, and the Indo-Pacific. The insect can be seen in most habitat types, from urban areas to the coastal heath, except for the desert.
They are on my lemon tree I notice. This is their favorite food.
Adults and nymphs prefer to feed on new shoots, piercing plants with their sucking mouthparts. Feeding causes the area above to wilt and die. They are most active in spring/summer/autumn.

Control of crusader bugs is rarely required. If more than 25% of young shoots are infested, spot spray with a selective insecticide.
Many predators control crusader bugs including birds, spiders, assassin bugs and parasitic wasps.

​

View attachment 1513316

Thanks much greykangaroo

 

[RafaelMatias]

Nor I?

I guess that's a reference to slaters/woodlice being crustaceans, as lobsters, not insects (which you may kill with 'fly spray'...) Dunno

 

[greykangaroo]

I guess that's a reference to slaters/woodlice being crustaceans, as lobsters, not insects (which you may kill with 'fly spray'...) Dunno

Well done Rafael. It wasn’t that difficult really to see my inference to the fact that slaters are actually related to lobsters and are not insects.
When our Mr Adcock revealed that he often snacked out on slaters because they taste like shrimp I though he came close.
I was a bit surprised that anyone out side of a Siberian gulag would eat them. I would like to know if they were cooked first or does one just scoop them up alive and snack out?

I really should own up to the use of psychology in using a title for my post to grab everyone’s attention.

 

[KC Foggin]

Some great info guys!