Slugs and snails / RHS Gardening (2024)

FAQs

Are snails and slugs good for the garden? ›

The Benefits of Slugs and Snails

Slugs eat all types of vegetation, from roots to shoots—which makes them more destructive than snails. But slugs can also eat small invertebrates, keeping them from overpopulating a garden. The presence of a small number of slugs isn't necessarily a bad thing.

On average, 200 slugs live in a cubic metre of soil. That means in an average-sized garden there can be up to 15,000 slugs! Slugs and snails love mild and damp weather, but slugs will still be active in the winter if the temperature stays above 5°C (40°F).

RECOGNIZE SLUG AND SNAIL DAMAGE

Slugs and snails eat tender plant leaves, stems, flowers and soft, succulent, ground-hugging fruits. Plant such as hosta, lettuce, basil, cabbage, tomatoes, and strawberries are frequent targets. Both slugs and snails chew large, irregular holes in plants and fruits.

In one study, coffee grounds were found to reduce the number of snails by up to 50%. In another study, coffee has shown to reduce the number of slugs by up to 90%. Overall, coffee grounds are a safe and effective way to deter snails and other pests.

Snails can cause significant damage to your plants, often leaving telltale signs of their presence. Here is how you can detect snail damage: Holes in Leaves: Snails leave irregularly shaped holes in leaves. These holes are often large and ragged, unlike the neat circles left by other pests.

Crushed eggshells, sand or diatomaceous earth sprinkled around plants that the garden snails seem to prefer will deter and eventually kill these pests. Set out traps - A common snail trap is the beer pan. Simply fill a shallow pan with beer and leave it out overnight.

Spraying WD40 on the outside of pots or planters will make them too slippery for slugs to climb. This can be effective for pots and planters that sit on a path or patio, but should be kept away from soil or other plants.

Pouring salt on a slug will kill it in a matter of seconds, however, it generally takes quite a bit of salt to do so. The salt kills the slug through osmosis – it draws water from inside the slug and rapidly dehydrates it.

Vertebrate predators of snails and slugs include shrews, mice, squirrels, and other small mammals; salamanders, toads and turtles, including the uncommon Blandings Turtle Emydoidea blandingii; and birds, especially ground-foragers such as thrushes, grouse, blackbirds, and wild turkey.

What plant repels slugs and snails? ›

Some plants are known to repel slugs and snails, so consider planting them alongside your vulnerable crops. Plants like garlic, onions, mint, and rosemary are natural repellents that can help keep these pests away. Slugs don't generally eat plants that are spiky and have strong oils like lavender and sage.

Slugs and snails, unlike us, hate coffee. And coffee grounds also add nutrients to your soil. Coffee grounds are one of the best and most recommended ways to deter slugs and snails from your garden.

Epsom salts, though, are an effective control method. Epsom salts contain magnesium, which is a nutrient most plants will utilize. Applying a band of Epsom salt around your beds or plants will work as a slug barrier.

Slugs love to eat marigolds. Plant mari- golds along your garden's border and hand pick slugs and dispose of them in late evening. Iron phosphate granules (e.g., Sluggo, WorryFree, and Escar-Go). The wheat aroma of these granules attracts slugs.

Keep Pests Away

Sprinkle baking soda on your soil with a flour sifter to keep ants, roaches and slugs away from your garden. (Be sure to avoid your plants!) It's a safe way to keep beneficial insects around and say sayonara to the ones you're tired of seeing.

Snails in the garden are a problem because they feed on and damage various plants. They spread diseases and parasites and contaminate food crops with their slime trail. Additionally, they can reproduce rapidly, making it difficult to control their population numbers.

Slugs feed on leaves of many plants (especially seedlings), ripening fruits and vegetables, and decaying plant matter. Extensive feeding can result in a weak or dying plant.

Slugs and snails are natures clean-up crews and recyclers.

It's also thought that they aid in fungal spore dispersal, thanks to their diet too. Additionally their shells can form an important source of calcium for other creatures in calcium-poor habitats.

As much as we hate them for the damage they do to our garden plants, we need to recognize slugs as an important part of the ecosystems because many species are decomposers and feed on fallen leaves, dead insects and dead worms. They are also food for snakes, toads, turtles and birds.