Slugs also pose a health threat to humans, pets and wildlife



by serving as intermediate hosts for parasites such as

lungworm.

Slugs are inactive in cold weather and hibernate in the

soil.

Heavy mulching and watering, required for productive and

beautiful gardens create favorable conditions for slugs.

Slugs destroy plants by killing seeds or seedlings, by

destroying stems or growing points, or by reducing the leaf

area. Slug feeding may also initiate mold growth or

rotting.

Slugs feed on a variety of living plants chewing holes in

leaves, flowers, fruit and young bark. They are also

serious pests of ripening fruits, such as strawberries and

tomatoes, that are close to the ground. However, they will

also feed on foliage and fruit of some trees favoring

citrus. Some plants that are seriously damaged include

artichokes, asparagus, basil, beans, cabbage, dahlia,

delphinium, hosta, lettuce, marigolds, and many more plants

too numerous to list here. To determine if damage is caused

by a slug or other insect, look for a clear, silvery mucous

trail.

Under ideal conditions, chemical baits, containing

metaldehyde, can be somewhat effective because this aldehyde

paralyzes the slugs and they eventually die from

dehydration. However, under cool and wet conditions when

slugs are most active and troublesome, they can often

recover. And these chemicals are poisonous to cats, dogs,

birds and curious children.

Biological control provides an attractive alternative to

traditional control practices. Nematodes possess

exceptional potential as biocontrol agents for pest slugs.

In Europe, a product as been successfully developed from

Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, that is effective against a

wide variety of pest slug and snail species and it targets

only slugs and snails.

It would be a perfect solution for introduction into the US

but there are no published records of P. hermaphrodita

occurrence in the US. Thus, regulatory issues prohibit it's

introduction and marketing in the US.

Slugs do play a positive role in the environment. Because

slugs are also scavengers eating decaying vegetation, animal

feces, and carrion they help in breaking down decomposing

materials thus helping to release nutrients back into the

soil.

Slugs are night feeders so night traps and beer traps are

the best ways to catch and trap them. But there are many

other methods proven successful. One includes a very

common, but not well known, ingredient.