Snails & Slugs Coming Your Way

Snail photo on Flickr by Randy Son of Robert

If you have not found evidence of slugs and snails in your garden by now, believe me, they will be here soon. In our California coastal climate they live (and eat) throughout the year. They slide though the night on their slimy mucus-producing “foot”, leaving a shiny trail, and eating holes in leaves and along edges. When they encounter a newly sprouted seedling, it can disappear before your eyes.

The common brown snail, Helix aspersa and his slug cousin, Ariolimax reticulates are the likely voracious culprits as your garden warms and leaf damage is observed. Daffodil blossoms and tender strawberries are a favorite food of these nocturnal marauders as they come to life at night and on cloudy days. During the day, they hide in cool, moist areas of your garden.

There are a few techniques that will help you manage a snail/slug infestation. Keep your garden clear of debris that creates hiding places for snails. Boards, stones, weedy areas around tree trunks and dense ground cover, can shelter these slimy pests. Leaf mulch also attracts snails and slugs.

Traps for snails and slugs are sometimes effective. Boards, with runners beneath, can be laid on the ground under plants to provide a hiding place for snails and slugs. Lift and scrape the boards daily to remove critters. Barriers of copper flashing or screen can be applied to edges of vegetable beds or to trunks of trees.

Handpicking is effective in small gardens. Search with a flashlight after dark. As a last resort, poison bait can be sprinkled among vegetation. Some bait is dangerous to wildlife and pets so follow directions on the package. Some bait is safe for vegetable beds. Be prudent with its use!

For more information on controlling snails and slugs in your garden, visit www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html.

Slug photo on Flickr by Zemestor