Have you noticed something sneaking into your garden at night and chewing on your plants? Are they also leaving a trail of slime behind them? If so, you may be victim to a common garden pest, the slug!

Slugs, along with their close relative the snail, are invertebrates in the mollusk animal family. A quick way to differentiate between the two is snails have a hard external shell while slugs do not.

These little critters are well suited to the cool, moist Pacific Northwest climate. Slugs are most active during periods of wet weather. They creep through the night by way of a mucous-covered foot. This slimy appendage allows them to easily move over plant material to optimize their consumption of our beloved garden plants.

Slugs can multiply quickly. They have both male and female reproductive organs and sometimes fertilize themselves. They can produce up to 400 eggs each year. Their eggs are transparent or opaque and lay in clusters along moist soil.

Managing slugs

Homeowners can take steps to reduce the population of slugs in their garden. First, remove hiding places where these critters seek protection. Slugs find shelter under rocks, boards, weeds and high grasses. Do your best to minimize these in your garden.

If there is a special group of plants that you want to protect from slugs, spread the area around these plants with abrasive materials such as gravel, wood chips or sand. This will make a slug’s path to these plants more challenging.

Traps set with stale beer have proven to be successful in catching slugs. They are attracted to the fermenting liquid. When they reach the trap, they fall into the liquid and drown.

Although effective, beer traps can be cumbersome to keep filled and clean and beneficial critters also will fall into them.

Hand picking slugs can be an effective control. If enjoying an evening walk through your garden, keep an eye out for these slimy creatures. If caught, slugs should be discarded in the trash and not be added to your compost pile.

Lastly, encourage natural predators around your home. Birds, garter snakes, frogs, ducks and some beetles will feed on slugs while also increasing the biodiversity on your property.

Chemical controls

There are a few chemical options that could be considered for slug control. Carefully read and follow the label directions on each pesticide to assure safe handling and proper application.

Metaldehyde has been a popular control measure for many years. It can be purchased in bait or granule forms, but can be toxic to wildlife, birds and pets that are meandering within the targeted area. Iron phosphate, a product introduced to the market more recently, also has proven to be effective at killing slugs, while not toxic to pets and other wildlife.

Chemical controls need to be applied early in the spring when slugs are first setting sights on your garden. It is best to follow up with another application in the fall to catch any slugs that were missed earlier in the year.

There are no easy solutions to slugs. Combine several of these methods for the best luck in controlling slimy slugs in your garden!

For more gardening information, attend the Brown Bag Series at the Clallam County Courthouse. These free educational events are held at noon on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. On March 24, veteran Master Gardener Bob Cain will talk about fungal diseases of plants.

Pearl of wisdom

Everyone has their favorite slug control method. Some gardeners talk about using salt. Salt will kill slugs but it easily can kill plants and will increase your soil’s salinity, ruining your garden. If you must, throw the slugs into a bucket of salty water but never apply salt directly in the garden.

Lorrie Hamilton is the Clallam County Master Gardener coordinator.