Today’s Garden Ideas

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Snails and slugs like to live in cool shady areas so they will not get dried out. Slugs and snails especially like areas with poor drainage and thick dense groundcover or foliage. In daylight they will live under stones, large leaves or even in your compost heap.

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Life Cycle

During the summer slugs will lay their eggs. Slugs’ eggs will hatch approximately 3 weeks later. If your area has had a wet spring expect more slug activity.

Snails lay their eggs in the fall. Snails’ eggs hatch the following spring. If winter was fairly mild in your area the snail eggs may not have been affected by the frost. Expect a larger number of snails in the spring under these climatic conditions.

Identifying Infestation

The best way to find slugs and snails in your garden is to keep and eye on the plants they prefer. Look at the petals, stems and leaves. If you see large irregular holes then slugs and snails are living in your garden. You may also see the slime trails slugs and snails leave behind. And, if you look at the right time of year you will see pearl like globes. These are their eggs

Eradication and Control

To control snails and slugs there are a myriad of methods to choose from. You can simply kill the slugs and snails you come across in your garden. Be sure to look for them in the evening. Or, if you prefer you can use preventative measures to keep the slugs and snails away from your garden.

To fight slugs and snails without chemicals you can try a few methods. Be sure to clear the garden floor of leaves. Pick up garden tools like pots, as these are perfect places for slugs and snails to nest under. Place a barrier of ashes, twigs or eggshells around your plants. Snails and slugs cannot move over these materials. To bait and trap snails and slugs there are 2 methods that work well. Place half an orange or grapefruit down on the ground. This will attract the snails and slugs and you can simply pick them up and destroy them. Another well-known method is placing a saucer full of beer or lemonade in the ground. Be sure to leave the edge of the saucer sticking out of the ground to protect ground beetles. The snails and slugs will get trapped in the liquid and you can remove them.

Another natural way to prevent snail and slug damage is to encourage frogs in your garden. Blackbirds and thrushes are another natural enemy of the slug and snail. All three creatures will feed on the snails and slugs, controlling the population.

The final way to protect your seedlings is to cut a large soda or water bottle in half. Place the bottle over the seedling and bury the bottom in the soil about ½ an inch. This way the slugs and snails cannot get to the plants to munch.

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Chemically you can use slug granules or pellets. Sprinkle them around you plants just under the plant leaves. These granules and pellets do not work well if then are wet. If you have a heavy rain be sure to reapply. Be aware that these slug pellets can harm birds, ground beetles and other creatures that may be good for your garden. Do not use these pellets if children play near your garden.

Slugs and snails prefer plants like Sweet Pea, Tulips, Lilies, Hostas, Lettuce, Strawberries and Potatoes. Snails and slugs do not like herbs (except basil), roses, cacti, dusty miller and any shrub or tree with rough bark as they cannot be climbed.