Slugs & Snails
Risk near you, next 48h
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When it strikes
About
Slugs and snails are night-feeding molluscs that thrive in cool, wet, shady conditions, shredding seedlings, leafy greens and soft growth, and are most destructive after rain.
Symptoms
Irregular ragged holes with smooth edges in leaves and fruit, seedlings eaten to the ground overnight, and tell-tale silvery slime trails on soil and foliage.
Organic Treatment
Hand-pick after dark, set beer traps, lay copper barriers and grit, and apply iron-phosphate pellets, which are safe around pets and wildlife.
Chemical Treatment
Iron-phosphate baits are preferred; metaldehyde baits work but are toxic to pets and wildlife and best avoided.
Prevention
Remove damp hiding places, water in the morning so soil dries by night, encourage frogs and birds, and protect seedlings with barriers.