Fast and effective pest control - slugs on peppers: how to detect and get rid of the problem

How to control pests in a greenhouse

Slugs - also known as slugs, are a type of gastropod molluscs that reach a length of 2-3 cm to 10 cm. The body of a slug is thick, worm-like and covered with mucus. Slugs are relatives of snails, but in the process of evolution they lost their shells, which ultimately allowed them, unlike snails, to live not only in open places, but also to hide in the soil.

Slugs spoil the fruits of vegetables and berries

Slugs cause a huge number of problems for gardeners. Firstly, they directly spoil the fruits of vegetable and berry crops. Slugs eat through zucchini, pumpkin, potatoes, carrots, beets, and eat strawberries and wild strawberries. At the same time, it is clear that, for example, one slug is not able to eat a whole zucchini, but the spoiled and eaten fruit not only loses its appearance, but also begins to quickly rot and deteriorate right in the garden bed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aQGLrqE2Pc

Secondly, in addition to harming the fruits, slugs also eat the leaves of many plants, which is why the plant is deprived of the opportunity to develop normally in the future and, in fact, quickly withers and dies. It must be said about one more very unpleasant moment for gardeners and vegetable gardeners: during the autumn drop in temperature, slugs gradually begin to move from the garden bed to cellars and other storage facilities for the harvest, where they slowly and methodically continue to eat everything that was grown.

Snails spoil the harvest in the garden, as well as the fruits of fruit trees

Snails are also a type of gastropod land molluscs; they differ from slugs in that they have a protective spiral-shaped shell on their backs, into which they hide at the slightest threat. They move the same way as slugs, slowly. However, they cause even more harm than slugs, since snails not only spoil fruits located low on the soil surface, but also quite often cause harm to the fruits of fruit trees. There are also frequent cases when snails cause damage to the buds of decorative flowers, such as asters, peonies and roses.

You can get rid of pests in different ways. Chemical, agrotechnical and mechanical methods of control are distinguished. Agrotechnical measures involve careful loosening and digging of the soil, weeding and thinning of plants. All this prevents the emergence of slugs.

In greenhouses, these pests are much more common than in open ground. This is due to the fact that the greenhouse implies high humidity.

If in open ground conditions there is a chance that everything will resolve itself, then in the case of a greenhouse the gardener risks losing the bulk of the harvest, and in some cases the entire harvest.

To reduce the risk of slugs in the greenhouse, you need to regularly light and ventilate it. It is imperative to prevent an increase in humidity inside the greenhouse.

It is necessary to take into account that the appearance of mollusks is also affected by cold. There should be nothing foreign in the greenhouse that could be a refuge for pests.

If there are a significant number of slugs in a greenhouse, they can be poisoned with metaldehyde by scattering granules over the surface of the ground. You can also use chemicals that are applied by spraying.

Slugs are carriers of infections. They spread fungi and viruses; often after their attack, tomatoes become sick with powdery mildew, gray or brown rot, and late blight. As a result, the plant is doomed to further death.

Insects reduce the immune capabilities of the crop, spoil the appearance and significantly slow down the formation of the crop. Fruits that have already been attacked by pests are not suitable for consumption; they may be infected and have an unattractive appearance. You need to get rid of them.

There are several ways to fight. All of them are effective in their own way and are aimed at destruction.

Mechanical method

It is considered the most labor-intensive, but effective. Slugs must be collected by hand at night. At 1-2 a.m., they approach the tomatoes that already have mucus stains on them, shine a flashlight, and remove the parasites into a jar. Then the jar is closed with a lid and disposed of, the contents can be burned.

Biological method

Slugs are afraid of the parasitic nematode. It is sold as a biological supplement, which consists of living microorganisms. The nematode does not harm tomatoes or the human body, so it can be used without fear. Microorganisms are diluted in water (1 tablespoon per 10 liters) and the soil around the tomatoes is watered from a watering can. In a week the slugs will go away.

Chemical method

The principle of operation is based on the use of chemicals - substances that poison pests. The main component of the additives is metaldehyde. It is poisonous, so you only need to work with gloves. Products containing metaldehyde are sold in gardening products. They are diluted in an aqueous environment to the state indicated on the package and treated with soil or foliage.

Important! When processing, it is advisable not to get on the fruits, otherwise they will be poisoned.

Traditional methods

Like most pests, slugs cannot tolerate strong odors. This fact can be used and an effective means of combating can be made. Spray the tomatoes with a solution of ammonia. Mix 4 tablespoons of alcohol in a bucket of water. Spray the bushes with the mixture and repeat the treatment every 3-4 days for 2 weeks.

In addition to ammonia, you can use onion peel decoction. The peels from 2-3 medium onions are steamed in boiling water and left for 2-3 days. Then filter the solution and irrigate the tomatoes with the infusion in the evening. For greater effectiveness, it is recommended to add a tablespoon of laundry soap to any product.

Prevention

It is easier to take preventive measures than to deal with pests later. It should be remembered that slugs are afraid of drying out and temperatures above +27°C, therefore preventive measures boil down to creating conditions unfavorable for them.

Did you know? During the popularity of pepper, its value was so high that for trading in counterfeit pepper, merchants in some countries could be buried alive along with their goods.

To prevent the appearance of slugs in a greenhouse you need to:

• do not allow the soil and air to become waterlogged, regularly ventilate the greenhouse;
• clean and loosen the soil from weeds and other plant debris;
• do not thicken the bed with peppers;
• make seedlings physically less accessible to pests: plant on raised beds, use caps or barriers for bushes, make depressions with fillers that will impede their advancement;
• inspect the soil near the bushes for the presence of masonry;
• plant plants that repel pests along the perimeter and between the rows;
• check vegetable storage areas, ventilate and treat with saline solution.

Despite their apparent harmlessness and slowness, slugs can become a real disaster in a greenhouse. Fortunately, a variety of methods to combat these pests can successfully cope with the problem. Most of them are simple and affordable to implement.

Chemical method of controlling slugs and snails

Slugs and snails are big garden pests! In hot and dry weather, they hide in secluded places in the garden, where it is always dark, cool and humid. And at night, when dew falls, or on rainy days, slugs and snails crawl into the garden to hunt, sometimes completely destroying the leaves of young garden plants and ripe crops

Slugs and snails prefer fruit and vegetable crops, where they readily devour not only leaves, but also stems, flowers and fruits. Snails and slugs do not disdain many ornamental plants.

Important!

A plant deprived of leaves has very limited opportunities to carry out photosynthesis; without flowers, the process of pollination and fruit set is at risk, and a crop bitten and stained with mucus is a very unpleasant and annoying sight.

All this, not to mention the appearance of the plant spoiled by snails. Undoubtedly, snails and slugs are malicious garden pests. However, the garden’s ecosystem is very vast and diverse, and each fauna plays its role in it.

This role is not always purely negative or positive, and the animal itself can, without a shadow of a doubt, be classified as a pest or a helper. Thus, slugs and snails perform an important sanitary function in the garden, processing dead or damaged plant debris.

Therefore, an organic approach to gardening involves gentle control measures, primarily aimed at strengthening plants and limiting access of slugs and snails to vulnerable plants.

And the chemical destruction of snails and slugs, even with the help of the so-called. “soft” pesticides are the most extreme, forced control measure, which is applied selectively in short periods of time.

Prevention of harm

• technologies for improving soil fertility and structure,
• correct selection of plants,
• timeliness of all garden work,
• maintaining garden hygiene,
• attracting birds and other beneficial fauna for natural pest control (in this case, lizards, frogs, toads, fireflies and some other beetles, as well as hedgehogs),
• the right combination of plants,
• rotation of vegetable crops and much more.

All these measures help strengthen the plants, because strong plants can much better resist attacks from garden pests and diseases.

Physical barriers for snails and slugs include special plastic gutters that are attached along the perimeter of the prefabricated beds.

Such gutters are filled with water, which serves as a mechanical barrier for snails and slugs.

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Any dry, porous materials, as well as fine gravel, crushed shells and eggshells, are unpleasant to slugs and snails, so they are well suited as row filler. It should be borne in mind that in rainy weather their effectiveness is significantly reduced.

The action of a special ecological granular material (Slug Stoppa Granules), which is scattered around the plants and acts throughout the season, is based on the same principle. Granules create a physical barrier for slugs and snails: they absorb moisture and mucus, dry out the surface of their bodies, making it impossible for pests to move.

Wide plastic rims with a bent edge are also available for sale, which are fixed in the ground around plants and keep snails and slugs away from the plant.

Planting vegetables in raised beds or containers, staking legumes, tomatoes and squash, using clear plastic covers (such as the bottom halves of large plastic water bottles) and plastic covers for young vulnerable plants all make for desirable plants for snails and slugs are physically less accessible.

Attention!

You can collect snails and slugs by hand or with a special device in the evening or after rain, and then take them somewhere away from gardens and cultivated plantings, give them as feed to domestic chickens, or destroy them.

Live slugs and snails should not be placed in a cold compostarium, as in favorable conditions the adults will lay eggs. Special traps for slugs and snails are a bowl covered with an umbrella-roof.

The trap is installed so that the entrances are at ground level. The bowl is filled with beer, fruit juice or other bait (the tasty smell attracts snails and slugs), and the roof prevents rainwater and debris from getting inside.

In the absence of such a trap, pour the bait into old unnecessary bowls and dig them flush with the soil surface in beds and flower beds with the plants most beloved by snails. Check and empty traps regularly in the morning.

Distraction maneuvers include old leaves and tops of plants loved by snails and slugs (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, comfrey, etc.) scattered among the plantings.

I personally successfully use this method in the greenhouse, where it helps to keep in check not only snails and slugs, but also woodlice: being carried away by eating this waste, they no longer crawl to the growing vegetables. From time to time, leaves with garden pests eating them can be collected and replaced with new ones.

Garden centers have self-adhesive tapes, rims, or copper-coated covering material made from copper (Shocka brand).

Contact with copper gives the clams a slight electrical shock, so they will not want to cross the copper barrier. Recently, headbands with a small battery have gone on sale that give snails and slugs a small electric shock when they cross.

Nemaslug

The parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodit (brand name Nemaslug) is available as a biocontrol agent for snails and slugs.

The product can be used from spring to autumn (soil temperature should not be below 5 C), it is most effective in wet weather.

The advantages of this biological “killer” of slugs and snails are long-lasting action, effectiveness, absolute safety for people and the environment, and ease of use. Microorganisms should be diluted with water, and then the desired plantings should be watered from a watering can.

Within a week, slugs and snails die; one watering is enough for a month and a half, according to the manufacturer. The inconveniences are the short shelf life of the product (3-4 weeks from the date of release, since microorganisms are “preserved” in a living state), as well as the need to constantly keep it in the cold.

Plants that slugs and snails do not like and try to avoid include, first of all, garlic, as well as many (but not all!) aromatic plants (lavender, sage, santolina, thyme, rosemary, laurel, etc.), which they never touch.

Garlic is used by manufacturers of special herbal infusions that repel slugs and snails. Infusions of garlic, hot pepper and mustard are well-known folk remedies for fighting slugs and snails.

Metaldehyde granules are commercially available (sold in Russia under the trademarks Groza and Meta) - an effective means of attracting and killing slugs and snails. The packaging states that the product is poisonous to pets and people if it enters their digestive system.

Advice!

The high toxicity of the product is also indicated by the fact that Bitrex (the most bitter substance) is added to it to scare away animals and children if they suddenly decide to feast on the beautiful blue granules.

Manufacturers claim that when used correctly, the product is completely harmless to people, pets and the environment, however, warnings are often found in the horticultural press. Metaldehyde should be stored and used with great care.

Wash vegetables and herbs especially carefully, if you have used metaldehyde in the garden, make sure that the granules do not remain hidden in the salad greens. I scatter blue granules exclusively around the hosta and only in early spring, when the new leaves emerge from the ground and are especially vulnerable to slugs and snails.

Caffeine, in an aqueous solution applied to soil or plant leaves, repels and kills slugs and snails, presumably by disrupting their nervous systems. This conclusion was reached by Hawaiian scientists from the US Department of Agriculture as a result of a series of experiments, as reported by Nature.

According to scientists, a 1- or 2% solution of caffeine kills even large individuals (although it discolors the leaves of some plants), and a 0.1% solution confuses pests, speeding up the heartbeat, and scares them away from the plantations. To get a 0.1 percent caffeine solution, you can, for example, dissolve a double dose of instant coffee in a cup of water.

Fortunately for amateur gardeners, there are many ways to combat slugs. Special preparations for slugs (Meta, Groza, Slug Eater, Bros) containing metaldehyde have a detrimental effect on them.

The chemical in the form of granules is distributed along the perimeter of the planted plants, as well as between the rows. It is important to remember that it is better to carry out the treatment 20 days before the harvest ripens, and to protect pets from eating the chemical.

The poison is effective even after two weeks of rain. But in wet weather it is better to refuse to use it as an ineffective remedy.

• On the contrary, a biological slug repellent containing microscopic nematodes Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodit (pictured on the right) “works” only in a humid environment. It works at positive temperatures (above 5°C), but is still more common in Europe.
• Visually similar to powder, this slug repellent does not harm the surrounding nature or humans. The disadvantage is the short shelf life of the drug - no more than 20 days, and certain conditions - only in the refrigerator. Safe modern means help get rid of slugs.
• These include, for example, biological preparations containing iron phosphate. They cause dehydration of the slug's body, after which the pest dies underground. The substance itself decomposes over time into iron and phosphate, which are organically present in the soil.
• Treating the soil under cultivated plantings with superphosphate or crushed copper sulfate mixed with sand helps get rid of slugs in the event of a large concentration of pests.

Fighting slugs in the garden with folk remedies

Preventive measures

The invasion of gastropods is provoked by leaving garbage and tops on the beds. Therefore, after harvesting, it is necessary to remove all weeds and stones from the greenhouse.

The fight can be carried out mechanically. In this case, different traps are used

It is recommended to make the beds in the building at an elevation. This way they will be more actively heated by the sun, which insects are unlikely to like.

For preventive purposes, various traps are helpful - watermelon rinds or plates of beer. Slugs will definitely be interested in such bait.

To prevent pests from appearing, plantings should not be thickened. Shellfish will also not like crushed soil, the absence of weeds and good ventilation.

Copper-coated rims or self-adhesive tapes can also be used against the shellless “snail.” The headbands can be equipped with batteries, in which case pests crawling towards them receive an electric shock.

Chemical, agrotechnical and mechanical methods are used to get rid of shellfish

Around plants that need to be preserved, you can place crops with an unpleasant odor for “snails”. It can be:

• thyme;
• lavender;
• rosemary;
• sage.

You can also spray with infusions of garlic, mustard or hot pepper.

More recently, it was discovered that pests do not like a substance such as caffeine. This means that the beds can be watered periodically with strong coffee. After coffee affects the slugs, their hearts begin to beat faster, and as a result, the pests hastily leave the area.

Preventing slugs and snails

Since fighting snails and slugs is quite problematic, it is much easier to prevent their appearance in the garden. The main preventive measure against the appearance of land pests is a competent approach to gardening in general. A garden, summer cottage, vegetable garden or greenhouse beds must be constantly maintained in normal sanitary conditions.

To prevent the appearance of slugs, the area must be kept clean.

Another way to prevent the appearance of a large number of slugs in a summer cottage is to attract birds. It might seem like a small thing, but it’s worth hanging 2-3 small feeders in the garden and thereby once and for all getting rid of not only slugs, but also other equally bad insect pests. Birds living in the garden will themselves reduce the number of slugs, snails, Colorado potato beetles, caterpillars and mole crickets.

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Methods for controlling slugs and snails

• physical population reduction;
• electrical barriers;
• biological reduction of slug numbers;
• phyto-barriers on beds;
• chemical treatment;
• various folk methods.

Several bird feeders on the site will provide invaluable assistance in the fight against slugs

Slugs are not that common in the garden, but their appearance can be avoided if:

1. Regularly loosen the soil and treat it with any insecticidal additive before planting.
2. Do not overdo it with watering, but do it when the soil is completely dry.
3. Do not water in the evening or in rainy weather. After moistening the soil in the greenhouse, reduce the humidity: open the windows and doors.
4. Plant garlic or onions between rows. You can spread cut nettles.

In addition, the tomatoes themselves, after transplanting into open ground, can be sprayed with an infusion of hot pepper and mustard prepared according to the following recipe:

• a glass of chilli pepper;
• 2 tbsp. mustard;
• a bucket of water.

Mix the ingredients and irrigate the tomatoes, water the soil near the roots with the solution. The first treatment is carried out 2 weeks after transplanting the seedlings. In addition to effectively combating slugs, the infusion reduces the risk of viral diseases and repels other insects6 aphids, ants, beetles and caterpillars.

You can treat tomatoes with a coffee solution of 0.01% concentration. It has a pleasant smell, and causes hostility among pests. The product is used even during fruiting, since it does not harm the fruit.

The fight against slugs is most often resolved in a positive way - by completely eradicating them from the garden. Pests are easy to destroy if you take action at the very beginning, when the first signs begin to appear. If the situation gets out of control, then getting rid of pests becomes much more difficult. With a timely response, slugs do not affect the quality of tomatoes and the development of plants in general.

How to get rid of slugs in the cellar and basement

Those who have constantly high humidity in their basement or cellar are forced to wonder how to remove slugs. Such a neighborhood is not very pleasant, and besides, pests can destroy vegetable stocks. The most effective and safest option is to arm yourself with a flashlight, a bucket of water and go into the cellar at night to manually collect the pests. The slugs are thrown into the water and then destroyed.

This treatment against slugs will help: the room is cleared of food, and then dusted with a mixture of wood ash and chalk. The use of a sulfur smoke bomb is also effective.

Fighting slugs in the garden with folk remedies, methods without chemicals

In order to get rid of slugs in the garden forever, people have come up with many effective methods of pest control. First, you need to consider all possible places for their habitat: old piles of mown grass or branches, piles of garbage and damp soil under stumps, basements, piles of fallen leaves or brushwood. From the very beginning of autumn, slugs begin to crawl into houses and sheds. Stepping on this guest in the dark is quite unpleasant.

There are many methods to combat snails and slugs:

• special obstacles;
• manual method (the most painstaking method);
• assistance from representatives of the animal world;
• traps;
• disposal using chemicals;
• planting repellent plants.

Preventative measures are not a way to control, but with their help you can reduce the number of slugs in the area.

To do this, you need to destroy all possible areas of their habitat. It is necessary to collect branches and foliage and remove them from the garden. Clear away debris from old boards or other construction debris. When there is a compost pit in the garden, expect that slugs will soon breed in it. Pieces of old linoleum or boards located between the beds are an ideal refuge for pests.

Loosen the soil regularly throughout the area. In spring and autumn, completely dig up the garden to bring the laid eggs to the surface. They are located at a shallow depth in the ground or directly in the slugs' shelter. At the same time, huge stones, like blocks of earth, are an excellent “house” for pests.

Traditional methods

Since it is not always effective to fight slugs in the garden using ecological methods, preventive folk methods are used at the same time. After planting the seedlings, the plants are regularly sprayed with a solution of vinegar and ammonia with water in a ratio of 1:6.

Mustard powder is also used for processing - 6-7 large spoons per 10 liters of water. Some gardeners recommend using instant strong coffee for spraying.

It is necessary to treat all parts of the plant (leaf plate on both sides) and the ground nearby in the evening in dry weather. The procedure is repeated after rain.

One of the popular ways to combat slugs in the garden is to sprinkle with wood ash, slaked lime or dry mustard (30 g per 1 sq.m.), which deoxidize the soil. These pests do not like such places and avoid them.

There are several other effective ways:

• Cornmeal is a deadly treat for slugs and is used as an effective remedy against various pests. Pour the flour into a jar and place it on its side. In the morning, dead snails and slugs are collected and removed away from the garden.
• You can leave wet pieces of roofing felt or burdock leaves overnight, on which the mollusks will gather. Collect slugs early in the morning using tweezers or wearing gloves, since the mucus is very difficult to wash off and may contain pathogens.
• Pests often damage berries, but chemical treatment during fruiting is impossible, so control of molluscs on strawberries is possible only by protective methods. Sprinkling the rows of the beds with salt and small pebbles, pine needles or shells and mulching with ground eggshells are used. Salt eats away the mucus, and mulch breaks down the slug's body.
• The smell of fermentation attracts slugs, so gardeners use traps by pouring kvass or beer into containers, preferably dark varieties. As a rule, they use the bottoms of eggplants cut off by one centimeter, placing them throughout the area. Traps need to be periodically cleaned of any mollusks that have fallen into them.

Certain mulching materials repel slugs or inhibit their movement. For example, sawdust. They stick to slippery mollusks, complicating their life in every possible way. Naturally, slugs also do not like coniferous mulch.

If it is not possible to mulch the area with pine needles, then several pine branches can be placed around the plants.

These mollusks do not like mulching with nettles either. Between the rows, a thick layer of nettle will not allow slugs to get close to the plant. But mulching works effectively if it is done regularly. And the nettles, and sawdust, and pine needles dry out, cake, go into the soil, rot, and the road to the tasty leaves is re-opened. To prevent this from happening, the mulch layer must be constantly updated and maintained.

Chemical methods

Slug control can be done using chemicals. The most effective is metal hydride. The granules of this product are simply scattered over the beds. Slugs love them very much and eat them with pleasure; as a result, they get intestinal poisoning and die. Powdered metal hydride can be poured into areas where shellfish accumulate. In this case, it passes through their skin and also causes poisoning.

In addition to metal hydride, you can fight slugs by using ground iron sulfate or freshly slaked lime. A mixture of stove ash (four parts) and bleach (one part) is quite effective. Tobacco dust is often used against slugs, which must be scattered over the beds. When the shellfish sheds the poisoned mucus, the chemical treatment should be repeated.

Slug control in the garden can be done manually. They are collected in some kind of container, and then poured into kerosene. When removing weeds from the beds, you need to carefully examine their root system. There may be either slugs directly or eggs laid on it.

Mechanical methods include covering planted seedlings with cut eggplants. Some gardeners line their garden beds with cellophane. In the morning, slugs, having eaten tomatoes or cabbage, crawl under the film, believing that this is a shelter. During the day, the ground under the transparent polyethylene becomes very hot, and the slugs die, since they absolutely cannot tolerate high temperatures.

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You can fight mollusks with the help of ground eggshells, which are scattered over the beds, trying to get on the leaves. Small particles of the shell have rather sharp edges that damage the delicate skin of mollusks, leaving cuts. As a result, the slugs quickly die.

You can also use diatomaceous earth to get rid of slugs. This is a sedimentary rock. When this powder gets on the skin of mollusks, it dries it out and the slugs die.

The slug, another name for the pest “slug,” is a real enemy of homeowners. The question of how to get rid of slugs is a pressing one for them. Why is the pest so dangerous?

The slug is a relative of the snail, only without a shell. This is one of the most common pests in home gardens. A gastropod terrestrial mollusk moves by contracting muscles. Its presence can be determined by eaten leaves, holes in tubers, heads of cabbage and fruits.

As it moves across surfaces, it leaves behind a shiny, dried, pearlescent trail, as its body is abundantly covered with mucus. There are tentacles in the form of horns on the head, and the eyes are located here. The parasite has an excellent appetite. With a sickle-shaped mouth and a tongue with many tiny teeth called a grater, it is capable of scraping food from various surfaces.

Only by knowing how to get rid of slugs and prevent their spread can you protect your crops from the pest. Its rapid reproduction is facilitated by high humidity and relatively low air temperatures.

Dry years significantly reduce slug activity: pests produce fewer offspring, feed less well, and therefore cause less harm. The slug waits out the unfavorable period by wrapping itself in a cocoon. But during the rains, it feasts in gardens and, what is especially dangerous, at the same time spreads fungal and viral diseases to plants.

Important!

From overwintered eggs, slugs emerge in May, and after a month and a half, each individual produces offspring - in just one summer, several hundred new slugs, which, as they grow up, also begin to breed. Therefore, in order to get rid of slugs, it is important to use a whole range of measures aimed not only at their destruction, but also at preventing their appearance on the site.

Prevention is the best remedy for problems that arise when growing plants.

Getting rid of slugs on your property is more difficult than preventing their spread. What to do?

1. In early spring, it is necessary to cultivate the soil with special care and diligence. Simple steps will help to significantly reduce the number of overwintered eggs.
2. In the summer, watering the garden repeatedly, it is necessary to frequently and deeply loosen the soil, throwing out hummocks and roots. It is in them that these parasites often hide.
3. Planting should be done at the recommended intervals. In shady, dense places, the most favorable living conditions are created for the pest. For the same reason, row spacing and the entire area should be kept especially clean, and damp areas should be drained.

The slugs do the most severe damage not to ripening strawberries or budding heads of cabbage, but to the first shoots at the cotyledon level. An inexperienced summer resident may not even suspect why his cucumber or pea crops germinate so poorly, blaming the lack of germination on the seed seller or unsuitable weather.

But in fact, sometimes the real cause can be snails and slugs that have eaten young vegetable seedlings.

Slugs and snails live where there are or have recently been weeds. A very big mistake is to plant the crops that are tasty for them immediately after digging up the soil overgrown with weeds - all the slugs usually remain in the ground and are just waiting for “lunch” of any seedlings that appear nearby.

The first to be eaten are the tender sprouts of planted vegetables, then they can switch to radishes, and then, during the summer, to strawberries, potatoes, cabbage...

Known methods of fighting slugs in the garden without chemicals:

1. Digging and trampling row spacing. Some slugs die under the weight of a person.
2. Spilling the soil with hot water (about 50 degrees). Snails cannot withstand overheating; water reaches them in the soil at a depth of 10-20 cm, while short-term exposure to such temperatures does not harm cabbage heads. This method is especially effective in hot weather.
3. Dust the seedlings with ash, hot pepper, and lime.

Signs of pepper damage by slugs

Science distinguishes several types of slugs. Mollusks prefer to feed on garden crops with large, juicy tops . Summer residents complain that pests eat not only leaves, but also fruits.

The presence of a pest in an area can be determined by the appearance of small holes or cuts on the leaves of plants. Also, white mucus remains on the tops after the slugs move.

Slugs are nocturnal, so searching for them during the day makes no sense.

Damage caused

Mollusks gnaw large holes on the leaves of bell pepper, which disrupts plant photosynthesis, inhibits the development of the vegetable and negatively affects yield. In addition, slugs cause the development of powdery mildew, as well as other fungal diseases and rot.

Important! Pests can attack plants outdoors, in greenhouses and greenhouses.

In conditions of high humidity, the shellfish population increases rapidly. Slugs can destroy an entire crop in a matter of days.

Electrical barriers

This method will not reduce the number of pests, but will only limit their access to plants and fruits. Therefore, electrical barriers are best used in greenhouses. Structurally, the barrier is a self-adhesive tape with exposed current conductors.

Electric barrier against slugs

Attention! The current strength and voltage in electrical barriers are so small that they are not that dangerous to humans; a person is not even able to feel the discharge.

The principle of operation of an electrical barrier is that when a slug or snail comes into contact with the conductors, they receive a small discharge, become confused and “change their mind” to move further towards the intended target in the form of a ripe squash or squash.

Despite the name, this method of fighting slugs is the most environmentally friendly and humane. There is no need to poison or kill anyone. The principle of phyto-barriers is to plant certain plants directly on the beds, which repel pests from the beds with their smell. Such plants include: garlic, string, lavender, sorrel, sage, bay, rosemary and thyme.

Garlic's scent repels slugs and snails from garden beds

Slug trap

The fight against slugs with folk remedies is based on identifying the pest’s weak points and “competently” striking. As mentioned above, during the day slugs hide in shady places, and at nightfall they come out of their shelters in search of food. Build a trap to lure the shellfish and then dispose of them. It's very simple!

Beer as bait

Take disposable cups and dig them in several places in the garden bed so that the edges of the cup do not rise above the soil level. Pour some beer into each glass. Slugs are big fans of this intoxicating drink, despite the fact that it is harmful to them. By the morning you will find dead pests in the cups, and all that remains for you is to get rid of the bodies (some feed them to chickens). Such a trap should be installed in the late afternoon and covered during the daytime so as not to kill beneficial insects that are greedy for the bait.

Cabbage beds can be watered with warm water (40-50°C). But be careful - this method only works on cabbage! This water temperature can harm other crops.

Instead of beer, you can use other liquids that slugs are also not averse to profiting from: fermented compotes, juices, syrups. If you don't have cups, use flat containers with low sides.

False cover

Here's another remedy for slugs in the garden. Grease a wooden board with kefir or other fermented milk product and place it on two bricks or low stones with the greased side down. The slugs will smell a pleasant aroma and crawl towards the bait overnight. In the morning you will find a large number of pests under the board.

You can place pieces of roofing felt, linoleum or other material in the garden so that slugs can crawl under cover. By morning, many individuals will gather in such a trap.

general information

The first sign of the presence of slugs in the garden are small holes with traces of silver color that appear on the leaves of vegetable and fruit crops. There are many types of slugs in nature.

Moreover, these pests give the greatest preference to plants with juicy large leaves, for example, cabbage or beets, eating not only their green part, but also the fruits themselves.

In addition, slugs are very fond of ripe strawberries and wild strawberries, and even tomatoes and potatoes, which are not very attractive to many other pests. You can fight them with chemicals and folk remedies.

Garden slugs are also a common cause of plant diseases such as powdery mildew, so it is very important when planting them to think about how to protect yourself from this unpleasant problem and, if necessary, get rid of it as quickly as possible.

Description of the pest

Slugs are mollusks that have lost their shells during evolutionary changes. Outwardly, they are indistinguishable from snails when their shells have not yet formed. The body is elongated. The slug moves thanks to muscle contractions. The skin is covered with mucus, which maintains the normal functioning of the entire body.

Interesting fact!

The mucus secreted by the mollusk helps repel predators and also improves gliding during movement.

Slugs have elongated tentacles on their heads that serve as eyes and a tactile receptor. Behind the head you can see the pulmonary opening. Mollusks are hermaphrodites, but they need to mate with other individuals to reproduce. Fertilization occurs in both slugs at once. One lays up to 30 eggs in the soil. Over the summer, an adult slug can lay up to 500 eggs.

Mollusks move to gardens from the forest or meadow, where their natural habitat is located. Mass reproduction is influenced by prevailing weather conditions. Most often, slugs appear when:

• warm and snowy winters, which allows them to survive in the soil;
• warm and rainy spring;
• cool and humid summers.

The following suffer from slug attacks: tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, wild strawberries, grapes, fruit trees, cabbage, seedlings, sorrel, etc.