Bait Now: Slow Down Your Slug Population

I decided years ago that the number one goal of a slug is to wreak havoc on my garden. No sooner have I planted beautiful, fresh annuals and perennials in my yard and containers, when I wake up to a trail of slime making its way across my concrete pathway. I know that on the other end of that trail is an enormous, happy slug who is dining on my new plant selections. 

 

One summer I was so upset about the disappearance (in one night) of all my gerbera daisies that I sat out in my backyard, hand-picking every slug I could find and dropping them into a cup of warm salt water, just to make sure they would not survive.  However, ridding your yard of slugs doesn’t have to be this offensive. Knowing about a slug’s lifecycle and the best time to plan your attack will go to great lengths in controlling the slug population in your yard. Following are some helpful hints and more information on slugs than you ever thought you wanted to know!

 

Unfortunately, the nice, rainy weather that makes the Pacific Northwest so beautiful in the winter time also lends itself to these common pests who thrive in moist areas of the country. However, with a little forethought and early intervention, our slug problems could virtually disappear or at least significantly decrease. This is why baiting for slugs in the fall is essential. 

 

You can tell slug damage usually by the slime trail they leave, but sometimes it can be difficult and can be mistaken for other pest damage because the trail is hard to see with juvenile slugs. Damage can occur in four stages: seeds, seedlings, young plants, and mature plants and fruit. On roots and tubers, look for shallow to deep, smooth-sided pits. On foliage, look for removal of tissue between veins, or skeletonization, usually near the central area rather than the edge of the leaf. They also attack flowers, such as pansies, taking chunks out of the petals. They can eat 30-40 times their weight in one day!

Slugs are most active at night or early mornings, during cool, wet periods. They remain mostly inactive during hot or freezing weather, hence the increase in slug damage during the fall and spring. During periods of inactivity, they like to hide under the rims of pots, in crevices and under rocks. They are territorial and will return to the same area over and over unless disturbed or it becomes too dry for them.

 

I doubt that anyone has ever desired to know this much about slugs, but the more you know, the better chance you have at keeping them away, so here goes. Slugs have both male and female parts, so they can reproduce without another mate. They start laying eggs at three months of age, and you will generally find them in a cluster near the soil surface or between a pot wall and the soil. In a lifetime (usually 1-3 years), one slug can lay 500-1000 eggs. These hatch in 2-4 weeks, but may over-winter if laid in October-November. The greatest egg production occurs after the first late summer to early fall rains. 60% of eggs are laid in the fall, 25% in the spring, and the rest are laid during warm, humid weather. To control your slug population, it has to be a year round effort with special emphasis during the fall. Prevention is definitely the key and should include cultural as well as chemical methods.