Get Rid of Slimey Pests

GET RID OF SLIMY PESTS
Kill Slugs and Snails Organically

If you have plants that are the favorite food of slugs and snails, stop them from chewing irregular holes in the middle or edge of plant leaves with organic solutions. If left untreated, slugs and snails can completely defoliate a plant. These soft-bodied mollusks can destroy the look of an entire garden by eating on a single plant. They also leave behind shiny, slimy trails.

Slugs and snails thrive in moist, dark conditions, such as under the leaves of hostas. Because they are soft-bodied they do not like sharp objects. Place your choice around the base of the plant to irritate and deter slugs and snails. Pecan shells (sold in bags as pecan mulch), crushed eggshells or hair (human and animal) are all inexpensive choices. For easy spreading, place around the base of plants in early spring before susceptible plants are fully grown. Reapply as necessary, usually once a year.

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a product sold locally that has sharp edges. DE is the razor-sharp skeletal remains of microscopic organisms millions of years old. The sharp edges slice the bodies of slugs and snails. One thing to remember is that DE does not work when it is wet. Any moisture renders it useless, until it dries out.

Another easy solution is a liquid trap. Dig a hole in the area where the pests are a problem. Sink a plastic cup or lid into the hole with the rim even with the soil. For bait, use a solution that contains fermenting yeast. The smell of stale beer or a yeast brew will lure them. A homemade yeast bait is a mix of 1 cup of water, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of yeast. The snails and slugs fall over the container's edge and drown in the liquid. Empty the container daily into the compost pile to avoid the rank smell of dead snails and slugs.

Another solution is to lay a banana peel near the plants being chewed. Place it in the garden during the evening with the inside of the peel facing down. Slugs and snails will congregate on the peel. The following morning, dispose of the entire peel (with slugs attached) in a bucket of soapy water.

Because they hide in damp areas beneath rocks and wood, you can purposefully place a board or large rock in the garden as a trap. Routinely pick up the trap and dispose of the hiding slugs and snails. Another action to consider is placing any compost pile well away from the garden because the rotting materials of the pile attract slugs and snails.

For those who don't mind the process, a ten minute session of plucking the creatures every morning and evening for a two-week period will deplete the breeding stock of slugs and snails in a garden. Kill them by dunking them in soapy water. To avoid slime on your fingers, wear gloves, use a spoon or stab the creatures with a fork.

Although they require some time to set correctly, some gardeners use copper strips around the stems of plants. Copper effectively stops snails and slugs, even during rainfall.

Although birds may eat on ripe fruits in the garden, they also feed on slugs and snails. Some gardeners encourage birds until fruit sets on plants by scattering birdseed between the rows of established vegetables. Of course, ducks and chickens also feed on the slimy creatures. A pair of ducks can de-slug a one-acre garden in approximately one to two weeks.

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