Slugs and snails are mollusks with voracious appetites for many types of plants. They are also prolific, making them a serious threat to gardens. Follow the suggestions below to prevent these pests from doing major damage.
1. Keep gardens free of decaying vegetation, rocks, pots and other debris to eliminate daytime hiding places.
2. Mulch makes a perfect home for slugs and snails. Don’t spread it until plants are well established and daytime temperatures consistently reach 70°F. Make sure that the mulch is not more than than 3 inches thick.
3. Slugs and snails don’t like to crawl over rough surfaces. Spread sawdust, wood ashes or crumbled egg shells around plant bases to deter the pests. Another effective material is diatomaceous earth, which is the finely ground, sharp-edged fossil remains of marine creatures. However, these substances work only if they are dry, so reapply as needed after rain.
4. Set a trap. Place an overturned flowerpot on the ground on the shady side of a plant to provide a cool, dark hiding place for slugs and snails. Prop up one edge slightly so that the pests can crawl underneath. Because slugs and snails like citrus, you can use inverted grapefruit and orange halves with the fruit removed in the same way. Place pots or rinds in the garden in the evening and check under them daily; if pests are present, discard them and put out fresh citrus rinds. Squash pests or drop them into a jar of salty water.
5. Beer is a tried-and-true bait. Place shallow containers, such as small margarine tubs, in the garden so that the rims are just at soil level. Pour stale beer into the containers to a depth of 1 inch. Slugs and snails crawl in and drown. Make sure to empty and refill the container every two days.
6. Spray slugs and snails with a lethal solution of equal parts vinegar and water.
7. Slugs and snails won’t crawl across copper, which gives them a slight electrical shock on contact. However, copper is only effective if the pests are not already in the garden bed. To construct a barrier, attach 3-inch wide copper strips, available at hardware stores or through mail-order sources, to stakes placed around beds or planters. Keep foliage within the barrier.
The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc./GID
Use beer in small containers as bait to trap snails and slugs in your garden.
