Protecting your garden from slugs and snails
Everyone loves springtime in the garden, even the slugs and snails. But left unchecked, these common garden pests can cause significant damage in little time. While feasting on hostas, dahlias, lettuce and more, slugs can consume several times their own weight in a single night. But how can you keep hungry slugs and snails from turning your growing investment into an all-you-can-eat buffet? Potential solutions range from traps and slug baits to slug-sized perimeter fences. But which is right for your garden?
Eradicating slugs and snails from your garden is pretty much impossible, but controlling them is just a matter of choosing the right strategy for your space. Some traditional methods of pest control — like pesticides containing metaldehyde — can be toxic to pets and wildlife. Also, some pesticides need to be reapplied after each rain, making for a time-consuming and costly process. Slug and snail baits containing iron phosphate are a safer choice, and since the active ingredient is a chemical that doesn’t dissolve readily in water, they tend to last longer too. Other non-toxic alternatives include salt-based deterrents that kill on contact, a solution of dishwashing liquid, or the old standby: the bowl of beer or "slug pub."
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| Without SlugsAway | With SlugsAway |
Of course, slugs and snails can also play a valuable role in the garden. As scavengers, they help to rework the soil by consuming decaying vegetation, and they also play their part in the food chain, providing a meal for various iron-stomached birds, insects and animals. For gardeners who’d prefer to keep their slugs and snails around to help preserve the natural balance of their own little ecosystem, there are a number of ways everyone can co-exist, more or less harmoniously. Aside from removing them by hand, organic gardeners can discourage slugs and snails from specific areas by clearing the area of slug habitat, such as boards or structures that provide a dark, cool refuge. Plant selection, a ready supply of alternative food sources, and slug-resistant locations or barriers can also help.
SlugsAway in garden
A more environmentally friendly choice for smaller areas are garden borders constructed of copper tape. These, however, can be quite expensive and become less effective when tarnished. Another alternative is an electronic barrier like the SlugsAway™ slug and snail deterrent (www.contech-inc.com/products/slugsaway/) can surround and protect a garden. Powered by a single nine-volt battery, the SlugsAway surrounds a flower bed or raised vegetable garden to form a harmless, yet effective, electronic barrier. When a slug or snail tries to climb the fence, it receives a mild static sensation (undetectable to pets and humans), that causes it to change its path away from the protected area.
With a selection of environmentally friendly strategies and tools, conscientious gardeners can make the right choices to protect their plants without risk to their surroundings.
Erik Djukastein has helped gardeners and landscapers solve animal-control challenges for nearly 20 years. gardensolutions@contech-inc.com