Understanding Slugs and Snails
Slugs and their cousins, snails, are common garden pests that feed on tender leaves and vegetables. If your lettuce looks like Swiss cheese, it may be time to take action. Look for signs like silvery mucus trails and irregular holes in the soft tissue of plants. Slugs are nocturnal, so head out with a flashlight at night to confirm their presence.
Cultural Controls
Prevent slugs and snails by making your garden less inviting:
- Remove hiding spots: Clear away weeds, boards, and rocks where slugs like to hide.
- Plant slug-resistant plants: Opt for plants like rosemary, lavender, nasturtiums, or California poppy.
- Use drip irrigation: Replace overhead sprinklers to keep surfaces dry and less attractive to slugs.
- Choose coarse mulches: Materials like shredded cedar bark or coco shells are difficult for slugs to navigate.
Mechanical Controls
Use traps, barriers, and handpicking to control slugs effectively:
- Handpicking: Water the infested area in the afternoon and pick slugs off plants at night with a flashlight.
- Traps: Use a slug trap, such as the Slug Saloon, baited with non-toxic ingredients like malted barley and sucrose.
- Barriers:
- Diatomaceous earth: This natural barrier lacerates slug bodies, causing dehydration. Note: it only works when dry.
- Copper barriers: Use products like Slug Shields to create a chemical reaction with slug mucus, disrupting their nervous system.
- Mini fences: Use window screen fencing buried 4 inches into the soil to keep slugs out of garden beds.
Chemical Controls
Combine cultural and mechanical methods with a safe and effective chemical control like Sluggo slug bait. Made from iron phosphate, Sluggo is safe to use around vegetables, children, pets, and wildlife when applied properly.
- Spread bait in the afternoon or evening.
- Avoid piling the bait; sprinkling it evenly is more effective.
- Water the area after applying the bait to attract slugs and encourage them to eat it.
Biological Controls
If you have chickens or ducks, they can be excellent biological control agents. Ducks, in particular, love to eat slugs and snails, making them an effective addition to your garden pest management.
Conclusion
Enjoy a slug-free garden and lettuce that doesn’t look like Swiss cheese. Combine cultural, mechanical, and chemical methods to control slugs effectively and grow organic for life!
