The subject of snails and slugs can be a slippery topic. Many people find these creatures abhorrent, with their slimy appearance and voracious appetites. These slick fellas can ravish landscapes and deny gardeners their lovingly tended vegetables. But despite the fact that slugs and snails are so prevalent, few of us know much about them.
Slugs have a seemingly insatiable appetite for plant material.
Photo Credit: Robin Rosetta
There are many control methods available to keep these slimy garden pests off your prized plants.
Photo Credit: Robin Rosetta
This tawny garden slug is sliming its way across some daisies.
Photo Credit: ©2006 Buglady Consulting
There are over 12,000 terrestrial species of slugs and snails. And most of them play a vital role as decomposers. Some species, though, are major pests in our gardens and crops. But by understanding these pests, we can better battle ’em!
Thwarting these garden thugs isn’t too hard because there are so are many ways to do it. The first option is to use cultural controls, which includes taking away slug and snail habits by clearing out the debris they hide under. Some people also plant “trap crops,” like marigolds, to draw the culprits away from treasured plants or to lure them to a discreet area to be poisoned. Slug and snail barriers, like copper strips, can be used on individual trees, raised garden beds or greenhouse benches. In small gardens, snails and slugs can also be hand-gathered and killed.
Of course, there are also physical controls, like cultivation, natural freezing and flooding, which greatly reduce snail and slug populations – at least temporarily. And don’t forget the many predators of these slimy creatures, which include mammals, snakes, spiders, amphibians, birds, beetles and even other slugs. These guys work hard to keep slug and snail numbers down, too.
If cultural and physical controls simply aren’t enough for your situation, chemical control may be just the thing. When it comes to this method, timing is everything. The goal is to break the pests’ life cycles by killing slugs and snails before they lay their overwintering eggs.
When choosing a pesticide, pick the least-toxic method. Pesticides registered for snail control include those with iron phosphate, carbaryl, metaldehyde or a combination of these. Iron phosphate is the least hazardous to mammals and is quite effective in many situations. When applying any of these controls, remember that high moisture levels mean the product won’t work as well, so they’re best applied during a dry spell.
If a more homemade method is preferred, don’t knock the ol’ beer-as-bait trap. Slugs like a good brewski, too, but it proves deadly. They’ll crawl right into a pan of beer laid in the garden and drown.
While slugs and snails aren’t all bad, no one should have too many in the garden. With all the methods available to keep these slimy creatures away, there’s bound to be one – or a combination – that works perfectly for you.
