University of Tennessee photo
From coast to coast, slugs and snail seem to cause problems wherever they go. I've gotten laments from the west:
Would you like to meet the indigenous slug of the Northwest? You won't need your magnifying lens out here, Detective. Oh No! The Banana Slug is easily spotted on the wet pathways through the woods and it can be tracked by its iridescent trail left on the patio door glass. -- Lynn & Carel, Olympia, Washington
... and desperate pleas from the east:
Is there a way to get rid of slugs? I'm finding round holes in my hostas. -- Chris J., Patchogue
Sluggo and Escar-go! are two products that are quite effective in eliminating most slug problems, and both are natural and safe to use around pets.
But they're not cheap, so it pays to know that beer and molasses work, too. Try this first: Add ¾ inch of beer or molasses to a high-rimmed dish and place the dish in the garden under your hostas or wherever slugs hide.
Salt also is quite deadly to all slugs. When it comes in contact with them, they automatically release moisture and rush it to their outer surface, in an attempt to dilute the irritating substance. As a result, the slug dehydrates itself. Problem is, unless you're planning to sit up all night in your garden with a salt shaker (and the University of Minnesota photo at left just might inspire you to do so,) you'll need to sprinkle the stuff around your plants, and that might not be the best thing for your soil.
Some easy cultural controls that help a great deal include raking the garden well in early spring. You'll be oblivious to all the slug eggs you'll pick up with leaves and other debris. And don't mulch any thicker than 3 inches or you'll invite not only slugs but rodents, too.
A reader from Orange County, California, wrote not about problems encountered with slugs, but with snails. While snails aren't much of an issue in my garden (OK, they're not an issue at all, but I don't want to gloat), I can understand her frustration. What's really interesting is that there's a strange irony in the American snail's history.
Ordinary garden snails were brought here deliberately by the French, as they were an important part of their cuisine. Somehow, they managed to escape and multiplied like, well, like snails.
So they were brought here to be eaten, but au contraire, now your vegetables and plants are being eaten by them. Now that's what I call vengeance.
The good news is that products like Escar-go! work wonders on snails as well. Touché!
