Pest of the Month: S L U G S

Although they are slimy and destructive to gardens, slugs are very interesting creatures. The name "slug" is a non-scientific word, for a gastropod mollusc that has no shell (descendants of snails). Slugs are very destructive and can be difficult to control.

• While they look like they have antennae, most slugs have two pairs of 'feelers' or tentacles on their head; the upper pair being light sensors, while the lower pair provides the sense of smell. Both pairs are retractable and can be regrown if lost.
• Slugs' bodies are made up mostly of water since they must generate protective mucus to survive. In dry weather slugs will seek shelter in damp places like under tree bark, fallen logs, rocks, wood piles, and planters to retain body moisture.
• The bottom of a slug is called the "foot". Slugs move by rhythmic waves of muscular contraction on the underside of its foot. It simultaneously secretes a layer of mucus on which it travels, which helps prevent damage to the tissues of the foot. The mucus secreted by the foot contains fibers which help prevent the slug from slipping down vertical surfaces.
• As a slug moves, it leaves a slime trail which helps other slugs identify them. While useful to find a mate, it is unfortunately how predatory slugs locate other slugs.
• Some species of slug secrete slime cords to lower themselves onto the ground, or to suspend a pair of slugs during copulation.
• Different species of slugs have vastly differing diets. Everything from dead leaves, fungus, and decaying vegetable material; to living plants; and and some carnivorous slugs are predators who eat other slugs, snails, or earthworms. Most slugs will on occasion also eat carrion, including other dead slugs.
• Like snails, slugs macerate food using their radula, a rough, tongue-like organ with many tiny tooth-like denticles.
• On top of the slug, behind the head, is the saddle-shaped mantle, and under this on the right side are the genital opening and anus, on the other side is a respiratory opening.
• Some species of slugs hibernate underground during the winter in temperate climates, but in other species, the adults die in the autumn.
• Since slugs contract their body when attacked (which makes their bodies more compact and harder, making it more difficult to grasp them combined with the slippery mucus provides some protection against predators) use a tool (like tweezers, tongs, or chopsticks) to pick them up.
• Common Species of land slugs are mildly poisonous, often times after one ingests a land slug no signs of poisoning are seen, but after several hours severe diarrhea, cold sweats, mild headaches, insomnia and dizziness occur. In a few rare cases, humans have contracted parasite-induced meningitis from eating raw slugs.
• Slugs are hermaphrodites, having both female and male reproductive organs. Once they find a mate, they encircle each other and exchange sperm. A few days later around 30 eggs are laid into a hole in the ground, or beneath the cover of objects such as fallen log.
• If you have chickens or ducks, you may not see many slugs near your fowl. Frogs, toads, snakes, hedgehogs, Salamanders, eastern box turtles, as well as some birds also enjoy juicy slugs.
• Slugs lay small masses of eggs in soil cracks. The young slugs that hatch from these eggs travel through the soil and damage germinating seeds and root crops. Eggs hatch in 2 to 4 weeks. Slugs grow for 5 months up to 2 years before reaching maturity
• Deter slugs by reducing the humidity in your garden by using drip irrigation or soaker lines. Overhead irrigation should be done early in the day to allow more time for leaves and soil to dry before the nightly activity of slugs.
• Attract slugs to your bait using a trap boards or moistened newspaper placed on the soil surface. Check the shelters every morning and kill any slugs found. When not regularly maintained, remove the traps.
• To Trap Slugs bait them with fermenting materials like beer or sugar-water and yeast mixtures which can effectively attract, trap and drown slugs. The range of such traps is only a few feet, so place many around problem areas to significantly reduce slug populations. Slugs normally feed at night, so baits should be applied around dusk in moist areas. Put the bait in a deep container buried up to the rim in the ground so that the pests can't climb out and will drown.
• If they didn't drown in your bait, you'll need to kill them somehow. Try a homemade solution of household ammonia mixed with water (4 to 1). It will quickly kill the slugs. If you spray your plants with it, they'll love the nitrogen boost. NEVER MIX AMMONIA with bleach!
  
• Effective Repellents and Barriers that slugs won't travel over include acid, alkali or abrasive materials like diatomaceous earth, wood ashes and similar materials placed around plants provide some protection unless they get wet.
• Salt is so toxic to slugs that putting table salt on a slug can kill it. We don't recommend this technique since too much salt may kill your plants.
• Certain metal ions also are highly repellent to slugs. Barriers of copper foil exclude slugs from greenhouse benches and raised bed plantings. Other copper-based materials, such as copper sulfate, repel slugs.
• Molluscicides are pesticides effective against slugs and snails. Slugs are not susceptible to poisoning by most insecticides. NOTE: Metaldehyde is the most commonly used and effective molluscicide. It is sold often in the form of granular baits (Bug-Geta, etc.) or as a paste or gel (Deadline, etc.). Do not apply Metaldehyde to vegetables and edible crops. CAUTION: Metaldehyde, like antifreeze, is attractive to and hazardous to dogs.

Alternative baits use the active ingredient includes iron phosphate (ferric phosphate) and is in products like Sluggo, Slug Magic and Escar-Go!among others. NOTE: Iron phosphate products can be used around edible crops and do not pose special hazards to dogs.