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Snails and slugs rank among our most despised garden pests. These slimy
mollusks emerge from hiding at night and chew holes in leaves and flowers of many succulent garden plants and
fruit. Slugs and snails are similar in structure and biology, except
slugs lack the snails’ external spiral shell. Management
requires a vigilant and integrated approach that includes eliminating
moisture and hiding spots, trapping, barriers, and handpicking.
Baits can be helpful, but by themselves don’t provide adequate
control in gardens that contain plenty of shelter, food, and moisture.
How do you know snails and slugs are causing damage?
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- You may not observe these pests at first because they feed
at night and hide during the day. Go out at night or early morning
to view them in action.
What must be done to reduce snails and slugs?
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- Remove daytime hiding places—ivy, weedy areas, debris,
or boards.
- Regularly remove snails from shelters you cannot eliminate
such as low ledges on fences, undersides of decks, and meter
boxes.
- Place traps in your garden and dispose of trapped snails and
slugs daily.
- Reduce moist surfaces by switching to drip irrigation or sprinkling
in the morning rather than later in the day.
- Consider snail-proof plants such as impatiens, geraniums, begonias,
lantana, nasturtiums, and many plants with stiff leaves and highly
scented foliage like sage, rosemary, and lavender.
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How can I manage snails and slugs without using pesticides?
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- Make sure the garden is mollusk-free before planting. Then erect a copper
barrier around it. Use a 4- to 6-inch-wide band of copper, buried an inch below the soil and bent over at the
top or attach it around the edge of a raised bed.
- Place your garden in the sunniest spot possible. Remove garden objects
or adjacent plants or ground cover that may serve as shady shelter.
Reduce moist surfaces as much as possible.
- Build a trap using a 12" x 15" board raised off the ground
by 1-inch runners. As the mollusks collect under the board, scrape
them off and destroy them daily.
- Baits will not be very effective unless you combine their use with removal
of shelter, food, and moisture.
- Metaldehyde baits are especially poisonous to dogs and birds. Metaldehyde
also loses its effectiveness rapidly in sunlight and after rain or
irrigation.
- Iron phosphate baits are safe for use around dogs, children, and wildlife.
- Irrigate before applying bait and apply in evening on warm days when
mollusks are active.
- Scatter bait around sprinklers and in moist and protected areas where
snails and slugs travel.
Minimize the use of pesticides that pollute our waterways. Use nonchemical alternatives or less toxic pesticide products whenever possible. Read product labels carefully and follow instructions on proper use, storage, and disposal. |
