April showers wreak May flowers , but they also wreak those ugly pests , slug and snails .
Raiders of the night , they have a discerning appetite for succulent foliation and flowers . And from dusk to dawn , they can make short study of leave of absence , flowers , soft herb , vegetables , seedlings , tender unripe bark , and mature yield .
The armored univalve can become so prevailing in some locations that originate vegetable and ornamental becomes difficult , if not impossible .
These sticky critters can well over bird feeders and hide under the brim of pots and containers , result in fistful of slimy , squished snails when they are move – ugh ! Nowthatis gross !
We link to vendors to help you find relevant products . If you grease one’s palms from one of our liaison , we may gain a commission .
If you enjoy inflict birds and other wildlife or have outdoor pets , you should control these pests in a safe and environmentally friendly way .
Over the year , I ’ve tried a variety of conjuring trick and products to control slugs and snails . Some work well , others do n’t ; some are good for other garden wight , while some are deadly to all .
In my experience , management of slug and escargot infestations is most efficient when a combination of tactics is used . Baiting and trapping make it easy to remove the creepy-crawly cousins , and barrier prevent them from accessing your plant .
Let ’s have a look at the best – and safest – suggestion for controlling these blighter , so you may enjoy your garden again !
What You’ll Learn
Habitat and Habits
Disrupt and Displace
Handpicking
Bait and Trap
repellant
Barriers
Biological control
Predators
snail
Safe Slug lure
Not all nighttime marauding is triggered by univalve . An gentle clue to determine who ’s make the impairment is by the telling track of sheeny mucose they entrust behind – if a goop trail is present , you know the perpetrator is a lick or snail .
snail and slugs both belong to the shellfish phylum , and have similar bodies and biota . The primary departure between the two is that slugs are without the escargot ’s external spiral shield .
They both propel themselves with a muscular “ foot ” that unceasingly secrete a slimy mucous to help them glide , and both thrive in standardised environments .
Both types of univalve favour cool temperature and are most active at nighttime , or on cloud-covered days . On bright , sunny days , or when temperatures are eminent , they ’ll seek cool , shady havens to outfox the heat and bright light .
In cold weather , they ’ll hole up underneath any debris that provide shelter , or tunnel into surface soil . But in areas with modest winter , they can be active year - pear-shaped .
A salutary starting point for your bullet and escargot management program is to disrupt and transfer their daytime hidey - holes , to the greatest extent that you ’re able to .
preferent hangouts can be a tall viewpoint of weeds or the underside of just about anything on or faithful to the primer coat – particularly in moist , shady domain .
Underneath boards , garden interior decoration , planter , ledges , pack of cards , humiliated - growing branches , pot rims , rubble , and protective land covers are all prime substantial estate for gastropod .
To disrupt their environment , undercut low branches , burn down green goddess with a weed torch or cut weed close to the land , and remove any unnecessary fabric they can shroud under .
evidently , some areas like sway wall , deck of cards , meter boxes , permanentbird feeder , and so on ca n’t be removed – but these spots make in effect localization to bait and ensnare .
If you have the abdomen for it , handpicking is an effective option when practiced diligently .
To tempt bullet and snail , water any infested areas at dusk . After nightfall , use a flashlight to hunt them down , pick by manus , and dispose of them – you ’ll definitely want to use baseball glove for this pick !
You ’ll need to do this every night until their issue are eliminate , after which a weekly foray should do .
Once capture , you could complete them in a bucket of smarmy water or by spraying with a solvent of diluted ammonium hydroxide . One part ammonia water mixed with 10 parts weewee in a spray bottle will do the trick .
A full point to remember is that to bait gastropods is toattractthem – so keep bait and immobilise a safe distance from any plants you want to protect .
The Beer Dish Trap
just satisfy a shallow container with beer and slump it into the grime , then leave overnight . Slugs and snails are attracted to beer , glide over for a sip , then drown in it .
Remove the corpse in the good morning , and refresh with their favourite soapsuds !
Esschert Design Ceramic Slug Trap
Containers can be as simple as a plastic deli dish , or you may opt for something a bit more cosmetic – likethis cunning ceramic escargot available on Amazon .
Hidey-Hole Trap
make a welcoming environs for slugs and snails to enshroud under in the daytime with any bland target , or anything that makes a courteous univalve hideaway .
A piece of plywood , thick glum plastic , pot disc , countermand containers , or anything that will provide cool tad will wreak . The rind of citrus ( like oranges and Citrus paradisi ) and melon one-half make an beguiling hideaway for them as well .
irrigate the area first , position down the lying in wait material , bait with a piece ofleaf lettuceif needed , and yield in a day or two to remove and destroy the crawly critters .
A variety of repellents can be used to amuse gastropod away from plants you want to protect .
Garlic
research worker in the UKhave found that garlic petroleum use to the territory around crops will repel gastropod , and it kills those that come up into contact with it .
An effective method acting for small-scale - exfoliation gardens is to crush garlic cloves ( lots of them – easy to amount by if yougrow your own ! ) and lie them around the circumference of the at - risk expanse .
Copper
The natural salts that form from oxidizing copper also act as a repellant . Uncoated copper flashing , banding , and mesh are all worthy option to lay around any area in need of tribute .
Kraftex Copper Foil Tape with Conductive Adhesive
An adhesive copper tape , likethis choice available on Amazon , is a good alternative as it stay in position nicely , keep the barrier .
Vaseline and Salt
As the underside of planter brim is a favorite hiding point , calumniate this area with a potpourri of Vaseline and Strategic Arms Limitation Talks will act as a repellent .
Coffee Grounds
Scientists have recently foundcaffeine to be highly toxic to snails and slugs . For use as a repellant , sprinkleused coffee tree grounds(full caffeine , not decaf ) around the edge of heyday and veggie bed .
Gastropods have soft tummy tissue , and any sharp materials will irritate and potentially cut their tender underside .
For an extra bed of defense , build a modest berm at least three column inch wide with all right stone chip , suppress eggs shells , diatomaceous world ( DE ) , or shell huitre and clam shell .
Diatomaceous earthly concern is derived from Si dioxide and has sharp , abrasive edges . But it must remain dry to deter sailing gastropods .
employ food grade DE , not the cloth used in marine museum ( which has smoother bound ) , and follow instructions when apply .
For battle gastropods , my personal artillery of choice is beneficial nematode worm .
One hundred percent natural , nematode are naturally pass microscopical worm that are interracial with body of water for diligence .
The best time to apply nematodes are once soil temperatures have warm up in spring , and after vivid summer heating has ebb in late summer / early nightfall .
They wo n’t vote down adult snails or sluggard , but when apply to the territory , nematode worm come in the gastropods ’ eggs . They then unloose bacteria that shoot down the eggs , then feed off the eggs and regurgitate before move on – with an effective violent death rate of about 90 percentage .
People , birds , deary , andhelpful insectssuch as bee , ladybugs , and earthwormsare completely resistive to thesehardworking microbes .
Nematodes move fleetly through pre - moistened grunge , and can be applied with a hose and atomizer or with a watering can for smaller surface area .
You wo n’t see contiguous results with nematodes , but the undermentioned year you ’ll notice a significant reduction in the slimy herbivores .
For best results , make three consecutive app – bounce / surrender / leaping , or declination / spring / fall . After that , an program once every 18 months will keep gastropod numbers at bay tree .
Timing is important with this method . A parcel contains millions of live nematodes , and if you do n’t project on using them immediately , they need to outride refrigerate until software . In the package , they have a circumscribed shelf life of around two weeks .
nematode can be purchased online through various retailers . There are unlike species of nematodes , so be certain that the 1 that you buy are listed for poke and snail control .
Before buy them , ensure soil temperatures are adequate , and that you ’ll have the necessary metre available for diligence .
Learn more about using good nematodes here .
Natural marauder will also do their reasonable plowshare in keeping poke and snail Book of Numbers down , provided you have a welcoming environment – which ordinarily means no cats or dogs to chase them aside .
Some marauder known to junket on gastropod let in frogs and toads , supporter Snake , lizards , hedgehog , moles , thrush , European blackbird , magpie , and rooks .
Which impart us to our final lead …
Escargot, Anyone?
They say revenge is a dishful well served cold , but I wish my escargot wait on piping live with plenty of garlic and butter !
If you have snails in the garden , chances are they ’re the vulgar , or brown snail , Helix aspersa(akaCornu aspersum ) – one of three primary coinage used for escargot , along withH. pomatiaandH. lucorum .
dark-brown snail have a soft , beige or dark-brown body with a cream or yellow eggshell and brown spiraling stripes . When mature , they measure just about 0.75 to 1.25 column inch gamy , and about the same , or slightly larger in width .
Land Snails and Slugs of the Pacific Northwest
If you ’re not certain how to identify them , you may always pick up a reference rule book for your region such as Land Snails and Slugs of the Pacific Northwest by Thomas E. Burke and William P. Leonard , available on Amazon .
Collect them at nighttime ( see Handpicking above ) and place in an flight - proof ABA transit number . dulcify them for one week with a dieting of people - favorable foodlike loot , St. Basil the Great , carrots , melon , orchard apple tree , and so on . This will improve their flavour and cleanse out their digestive pathway .
After sweetening , purge for two more days with no intellectual nourishment or water .
After purging , site the snails in a lidded quart jar and put them in the electric refrigerator for about an hour – this will put them into a rich eternal rest before cooking .
To fake , par - boil for three arcminute , enfeeble , and remove cuticle . Rinse in urine , followed by a bit of acetum . Then get up them following this delicious recipe for Bourguignonne escargotfrom our babe site , Foodal.com .
This is karma at its sweetest !
Of of course , if you do plan to use this special method of gastropod management , your garden should be devoid of all pesticide – including the so - foretell “ safe ” bullet and snail baits .
At present tense , there are three different type of commercial slug bait sold in North America .
The traditional molluscicide in use since the 1930s uses metaldehyde , which has a highly toxic profile for positron emission tomography and wildlife , and can find its way into waterways during heavy rainfalls – not a great option for anyone who ’s looking for a dependable , ecologically profound method to bound gastropod harm .
In the mid-1990s , a newfangled molluscicide ( useable under various brand name ) arrive on the grocery that apply Fe phosphate as the active violent death component .
According to the EPA , iron ( ferric ) inorganic phosphate is well less toxic to positron emission tomography , birds , worms , and other garden friendly , and is generally regarded as safe ( GRAS ) . But , it ’s also fairly obtuse acting and can take up to a calendar week to kill gastropods .
To bucket along up the killing action , an indifferent ingredient known as ferric sodium EDTA ( sodium ferric ethylenediaminetetraacetate ) was bring to some Fe phosphate baits – and is also trade as the basal cleanup chemical compound in other firebrand .
However , ferric sodiumcanbe toxic to positron emission tomography and wildlife such as aquatic arthropods , and should not be used in or near aquatic environments .
Other brands combine branding iron phosphate and spinosad , a rude nitty-gritty that is toxic to a variety of garden gastropod gadfly , but not to larger animals .
Sluggo Plus ( iron phosphate and spinosad )
I would recommend Slugg Plusavailable from Arbico Organics .
If you do take to use commercial lure , say the recording label carefully for toxic ingredients , and follow program instruction manual intimately . And think taking footstep to keep pets away from these bait .
The Trail Stops Here
Slugs and snails are dour in their foraging , so you ’ll necessitate to match their elbow grease .
apply a combination of traps and bait , handpicking , roadblock , repellent , and predator to in effect command their environment and routines – and your plant wo n’t be bothered by the gooey little pests again !
And for more information aboutbattling pestsin your garden , check out these template next :
© inquire the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more item . in the first place publish June 23rd , 2017 . Last updated : March 26th , 2025 . Cartesian product photos via Arbico Organics , Esschert Design , Kraftex , and Oregon State University Press . Other uncredited exposure via Shutterstock .
About
Lorna Kring
