Popular How To’s
Both snails and slugs ( which are simply snails without the spiral shells ) tend to be most active at dark and betimes in the daylight , when the soil is nerveless and moist . pic by : foto76 / Shutterstock .
Are slug and snails turn the leave-taking of your wanted plants into Swiss cheese overnight ? These forbidding shellfish have voracious appetites , and even though they move at a snail ’s pace ( literally ) , they can do a quite a little of scathe in a inadequate sentence . They are notorious for chewing ugly holes into hosta leaves , but they will merrily munch forth on the tender foliation of all sort of plants and will also feed on mature yield and veggie .
Despite their destructive tendencies , slugs recreate an important role in the ecosystem by breaking down decay plant matter and render a food beginning for toad , turtles , snake in the grass , and birds . If you prefer to keep slug off from sure garden plant , rather than annihilate them altogether , several of these dominance methods can be used to ward them off without harm .
1. IDENTIFY THEIR PRESENCE
To avoid major damage to your flora , you should be on the lookout for slugs on a regular basis , peculiarly if they have been a trouble in the past . Because these critters are most active at night or on cloudy days when it is cool and dampish , you may need a torch to spot them . Be trusted to check low - growing leafage and the grease underneath plants , particularly in shaded area . you may also find them hide under rocks and prostrate stones .
Although slug and snails vary in size of it and color , calculate on the species , you could clearly identify them by their extensile eyestalks , which count a bit like alien antennae . Both pests will also leave behind a silver slime track as they move , a telltale sign of an plague .
2. PICK THEM OFF BY HAND
This selection is decidedly not for the squeamish , but it can be quite good when done on a unconstipated basis . Every time you see a sluggard or snail , pick it off by hand ( wearing gloves will make the chore less unpleasant ) and cast out of it by flip it into a bucket of oily water . Because slugs care to hide during the day , you will have greater success handpicking after dusk or early in the morning .
3. SET A TRAP
Snails and slugs under a board ambush . exposure courtesy University of California Regents
Instead of remove slugs from your plants one by one , set up simple sluggard and snail ambush throughout the garden to pick up a draw of these trespassers at one time and make them easier to toss away of . Inverted grapefruit or melon rinds work well , or create a suspect retreat where slugs can take shelter on hot days by lying categorical boards on the background , slightly raised , so the slugs can crawl beneath them .
Another good home remedy is to occupy a shallow container , such as a pie tin , with beer . Because slugs and snails are attracted to the yeasty scent , they will crawl into the sand trap and drown . A mixture of pelf , water , and yeast is equally efficient . The downside of beer cakehole is that they only work within a range of a few foot and must be fill again daily to make a substantial impact .
study more about entrap slugs and snails from theUniversity of California Integrated Pest Management Program(UC IPM ) .
4. CREATE AN UNFAVORABLE HABITAT
Slugs and snail roll in the hay to hang out in moist , shady berth in the garden and in domain that are heavy mulched . They will also hide during the heat of the day under log , arm , and piles of lessen leave .
To make the habitat less hospitable , use good housekeeping by take out plant debris and dead leaves from the garden , especially in the fall — the peak time for sluggard and escargot to lay their eggs . When usingmulch , do n’t apply it at a thickness greater than 3 inches , and keep it out from the base of your plants so slugs wo n’t burrow through it to reach covered stems .
Tip : Improve the air circulation in your garden by dividing and thinning plants , which will allow the territory surface to dry out more efficiently . keep the area between plant drying agent will discourage slug and snails from using them as pathways through the garden .
5. PUT UP A BARRIER
Applying atomic number 29 tape to a raised layer . Photo by : Mulevich / Shutterstock
If you have raise beds for a vegetable or herbaceous plant garden , copper tapeapplied along the edges or tops of the framework can be an effective method for keep snail and slugs at bay . Their slime reacts with the copper to make an unpleasant sentiency , similar to a mild electrical shock . If you do n’t have prove beds , you may also wrap copper rings around case-by-case works , placing them at priming level . Just verify that no farewell bear upon the basis outside the fuzz .
wry diatomaceous earth , disperse in a uninterrupted ring around the perimeter of the garden , can also be an in force roadblock because slugs do n’t wish its keen , game consistency . However , it needs to be reapplied after rainfall or watering because it wash into the filth . For horticultural design , be sure to usefood - grade diatomaceous earthor a product intended for pest control .
Tip : Although some nurseryman lay claim to have succeeder using coffee grounds or crushed eggshells as slug and snail deterrents , there is no light grounds that they ferment , according to UC IPM . You ’re good off using the tried - and - straight method above .
6. SWITCH TO DRIP IRRIGATION
Because bullet and snails erotic love wet , another good way to keep them off your plants is to utilize adrip irrigation systemor lush hosepipe rather than overhead lacrimation , so water wo n’t pool on the leaves . When you water matters , too . Always irrigate in the morning so the soil has meter to dry out by eve , when slug are most active . you could also keep your garden on the wry side by growingdrought - tolerant plantsthat do n’t require frequent watering .
7. GROW PLANTS THEY DON’T LIKE
Snail and slug damage hosta plant . exposure by : Savo Ilic / Shutterstock
There are few garden plants that slugs and snail wo n’t snack on , but they are especially fond of basil , bean plant , cabbage , hostas , leafy veggie , dahlias , marigolds , and hemangioma simplex . In area of the garden where sluggard and snails are particularly troublesome , you may charge them jam by growing plants that wo n’t quicken their appetites . mostly , they ’ll manoeuver decipherable of herbaceous plant with extremely redolent leaves ( such as lavender , rosemary , and sage ) , most woody plants , ornamental grasses , and plant with leathery , hazy or prickly foliage .
Tip : Use plant that slugs and snails making love , such as marigold , as “ traps ” by planting them along the edges of your garden . They will entice type slug out from other vulnerable plant and make it easier for you to observe and remove them .
8. APPLY AN ORGANIC SLUG BAIT
One of the best ways to get a jumpstart on preventing bullet is to give anorganic biff and snail baitin the saltation , one that ’s good for use around pets , wildlife , and fruits or vegetables quick for harvest . Most of these product contain iron phosphate ( a flora nutrient that of course occurs in the dirt ) , and they will remain effective after rain or lacrimation , so you do n’t need to reapply them often .
Avoid chemical slug baits or pellet that contain metaldehyde , a poison that can be toxic to people and pets when ingest . The best time to apply slug bait is in the late afternoon or evening , when snails and slugs are actively feeding .
