Snails and slugs are common garden pests that do damage to tender plants. They eat holes in leaves, flowers, fruit and bark. They attack fruit, vegetables and foliage they find close to the ground. Fruit and foliage high in trees is not safe either, as they will climb the tree to get it. Snails and slugs are most active at night. Dried slime trails are the best evidence of these particular pests. Eggs are laid on the ground under leaves, bark or other debris that provides some shelter. Killing the eggs is only part of the problem. You must also eradicate the snails and slugs or more eggs will follow.
Hand-pick snails, slugs and eggs from the plants and surrounding ground. Use tweezers or a similar implement to grab the pests; do not use your bare hands. Latex gloves are thin enough to allow you movement while protecting your hands. Crush the snails and eggs or place them in a covered container to drown. Returning at night with a flashlight will help you find the adult snails and slugs. The eggs will be easier to locate during the day. Check daily at first, then weekly after the snail population has noticeably diminished.
Remove weeds and debris from the area around the affected plants. The snails and slugs will lay eggs and hide from the sun under the debris. Removing it gives them fewer places to hide. Check for eggs under any rocks, bark or other items you find. Remove the eggs with tweezers and place in a container of water or crush them.
Place a ring of copper around smaller areas. The copper should be 6 to 8 inches wide. Snails and slugs will not cross the copper to get to the plants.
Keep chickens or ducks to naturally control the snail and slug population if that is an option where you live.
Place a few orange peels a few feet from your plants. Check under the peels daily for snails and slugs hiding from the sun.
Place snail bait in areas where you've seen evidence of snails. Organic baits will kill the snails and are not harmful to pets. The best time for baiting is late afternoon and evening after plants have been watered.
Things You Will Need
- Latex gloves
- Covered container
- Copper ribbon
- Snail bait
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