Snails and slugs can destroy a garden faster than just about anything , so it ’s very important for gardener to empathize their substance abuse in order of magnitude to check them . Snails and slug are both mollusc , and very similar to each other ; the big conflict is that snails have shells . Both move by glide along a muscle that secretes mucus along the way . That dried mucous secretion is what we call the slime trail .
snail and slug shun sun , feeding mostly at night and on clouded days . you’re able to recognize slug or snail damage by the irregular hole with fluent margin , especially on seedlings . They will also course on ripen fruit that ’s close to the ground , like strawberries , squash , and tomatoes .
Getting Rid of Snails and Slugs
When they are not feeding , slugs and snails hide out under boards , plant detritus , ground covers , and branch . Keep your mulch no thicker than three inch deep , and do n’t use big Sir Henry Wood scrap because the pests can hide under them . pass as many of the hiding places as potential is the first pace toward keeping the pests out of your garden .
Slugs and snail like wet . Use trickle irrigation alternatively of overhead sprinklers to extinguish supernumerary urine around your industrial plant , making the area less attractive to these garden pest . urine in the first light so plant will be ironic by even when the slug and snails come out . To increase strain circulation and drying , crop miserable leaves of garden plants and stakes plant life like tomatoes instead of letting them trail on the basis .
As much as potential choose plants that slugs and snails do n’t favour . Seedlings and succulent plants are particularly susceptible to slug and snail damage . Beans , marigolds , bread , hosta , and basil are favorites . However , plants with stiff leaves and fragrant leaves — lavender , mint , and perfumed geranium , for example — stand these pests .
Handpicking can be effective if done day by day . discharge the slugs and snails into a pail of soapy urine and empty the pail onto your compost pile . you’re able to also trap snail by create concealment seat with boards , flowerpot , or inverted melon vine rinds and collect them in the early dawn . Beer in shallow pans sink throughout the garden attract slugs and snail , which drown in the liquid .
gardener report varying results with slug and snail baits . atomic number 26 orthophosphate is one of the most in effect and least toxic of the commercial lure . Remember to read labels cautiously before buying any chemicals to habituate your garden . Use come-on in combination with the methods described above for successful management .
Want to learn more on snails and slugs?
Brown Garden Snail . From Oregon State University , this site focus on the brown garden escargot .
Snail and Slug Control . The University of California ’s Integrated Pest Management ( IPM ) attack to slug and snail control .
Slugs in Home Gardens . Good pictures of slug damage from the University of Minnesota Extension .
