Ew!!! I'd try ants, but slugs are pushing it.
I have soils that sound similar to yours, Rick. Bright gold, thick, rocky, clay. And topped of with, you might guess - Bermuda grass.
So for vegetables, I've done raised beds surrounded by old RR ties (old enough that the creosote isn't an issue). My two compost bins sit directly *in* the garden, so none of the Bermuda grass infests my bins. It limits my growing space a little, but saves a lot of transfer time and energy, especially as that is the area that needs the compost the worst.
I'm somewhat fanatical - every kitchen scrap, dog and husband hair, all paper towels, grass clippings and the coffee grounds from my favorite coffee shop (twice a week) go into the bins. I shred all of my non-shiny junk mail and that works for my "browns". Cardboard is laid wherever I next want to plant as a weed block. I love the idea of recycling and keeping stuff out of the landfills that could be so helpful to my gardening. It all works.
