Slug and Snail Control

As the Summer is coming to a end we have less work in our ornamental gardens. Snails and slugs have had wonderful meals during the wet summer months.

There are few things that we can do to protect our plants from them while looking after the environment:

1. When choosing seasonal plants try to get those les sensitive to their attacks. Ex: those that have thicker leaves and velvety leaves as they don’t enjoy them in the same way. I know this can limit our choices a lot but you could always mix them with other plants taking the risk for half of the display and not all of it.

 

2. There is available in gardening shops and also on line snail copper tape. In this case, one needs to measure the perimeter of the pot just before its ridge. Then, cut one of the sides of the tape in zig-zag shape like if you were trying to make a crown. Finally, stick it on the pot at the same high that you had measured before with the lineal side facing upwards.

3. Try to attract them to a beer can, although you will kill them using this option.

 

4. Some people advise to put the pots on top of gravel or broken shells. As far as I am concern this option doesn’t stop them from success.

5. There are also pellets that would kill them but please consider any other option before this one as it could harm beneficial wildlife ex: Hedgehogs.

 In my opinion, it is a matter of trying to keep the big weapons for extreme situations and avoid chemical products as much as we can. This is part of something called Integrated Control of Pests or Integrated Pests Management.