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It's War Against Snails and Slugs

© Keith Muraoka

You don't have to be an expert on gardening to know that this is already a horrendous year for snails and slugs. All the El Nino rains have apparently resulted in ideal breeding conditions for these plant-devastating garden pests. It's time to get out the snail bait!

But wait. What if you have small pets or children? Veterinarians concede that snail bait can be deadly. Most baits contain metaldehyde, which can kill a pet when only a small amount is eaten. One teaspoon of snail pellets can be a lethal dose for a large dog. This is very dangerous stuff.

Of course, telling an avid home gardener to just not use snail bait is tough to do, especially this year. I use powder, granular or liquid forms of snail bait in my backyard, which is accessible to my dogs. All of these are poison, too, but they're much less apt to attract Fido. Of course, you can consider a number of alternatives, including:

-- David versus Goliath. We're much bigger than snails and slugs, and move quicker than them, too. So, it's only sensible to hand pick the critters. This can be fun for the kids, especially when they get to take flashlight in hand and go hunting in the garden after dark. Make a game of it to see who can collect the most. Be careful how you dispose of the snails, though. They can eat their way out of bags and crawl out of garbage cans. Sealing them in cans, squishing them, salting them down in a container, dropping them in a solution of water and ammonia, tossing them into the street -- hey, all these disposal methods work. Caution: do not take salt shaker in hand and start strolling the garden because of the toxicity of salt in the soil. Consider hand-picking snails like hand weeding. Your best bet is to be vigilant and keep at it on a regular nightly basis.

-- Become a Trapper. Yes, we covered beer traps in last week's column (See This Slug's For You!). But there are many other trapping methods. For instance, snails and slugs are attracted to sawdust, lettuce or cabbage leaves, sliced turnips or potatoes and grapefruit shells. All can be placed in the garden at dusk, and collected in the morning. Clay pots can be used as traps when placed sideways close to the shady side of plants. Snails will gather in their shade during the heat of the day. Wooden strips about an inch high can also be attached to a wooden plank, and used as a trap.

The copyright of the article It's War Against Snails and Slugs in California Gardening is owned by Keith Muraoka. Permission to republish It's War Against Snails and Slugs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.