Ravenous and disgusting creatures, slugs and snails can decimate your annual flowerbeds and even get into container displays. If you don’t catch these pests in the act, you’ll certainly spot their giveaway slime trails. These critters are mainly active at night and especially relish damp conditions.
Watering early in the day and spacing plants so they aren’t crowded may help, but sterner measures are necessary if you have many snails and slugs and they persist. You can set traps that you buy down at the garden center or set out pie trays of cheap beer. Alternatively, protect your plants with barriers of copper strips or sharp diatomaceous earth (fossilized algae — again, available where gardening supplies are sold) — slugs and snails won’t cross these. A relatively harmless pelletized form of iron phosphate sold as Sluggo is a safe and effective control.
Don’t pour salt on slugs; salt can damage your plants. Also, some slug and snail products, like metaldehyde and iron sulfate, can be poisonous to pets.
Opt for the safer controls first.
Watering early in the day and spacing plants so they aren’t crowded may help, but sterner measures are necessary if you have many snails and slugs and they persist. You can set traps that you buy down at the garden center or set out pie trays of cheap beer. Alternatively, protect your plants with barriers of copper strips or sharp diatomaceous earth (fossilized algae — again, available where gardening supplies are sold) — slugs and snails won’t cross these. A relatively harmless pelletized form of iron phosphate sold as Sluggo is a safe and effective control.
Don’t pour salt on slugs; salt can damage your plants. Also, some slug and snail products, like metaldehyde and iron sulfate, can be poisonous to pets.
Opt for the safer controls first.
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