Slugs in the Garden (6265)

Slugs are common pests on a wide range of vegetable crops. They are black, brown, or gray, with various markings, soft-bodied, and about _-inch to 3 inches long. They are night feeders and make ragged holes in leaves, flowers, and fruits with their rasping mouthparts. They spend the day under boards, plant debris, groundcovers, or other objects. They propel themselves on slime trails that are visible on the ground and on plants. Slug eggs are white, gelatinous, and laid in clusters near the soil surface.

To control slugs try to modify or eliminate their habitat. This means removing debris from your yard and thinning out groundcovers. Hand-picking with a pair of tongs and flashlight at night can be very effective. Alternatively, squirt the slugs with a vinegar or salt water spray. Floating row covers and barriers of crushed oyster or crab shell, diatomaceous earth, builders’ sand, or zinc or copper strips can exclude slugs from young plants. Traps and bait stations can be purchased or made using shallow pans of beer and empty cans laid on their side.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

Feel free to forward, post or reprint any of the "Solutions" in their entirely, but please credit http://www.solutions.psu.edu/ as the original source of information, and please do not change the content.