THE DREADED SLUG

In the Pacific Northwest, one of the worst pests to deal with is that pesky slug! They crawl through your garden, feasting here and there on what are invariably your favorite plants, leaving a trail of tell-tale slime that makes you cringe when you see it! There are many methods used to control slugs, although personally I have found just diligence in looking for them (in the early morning hours when it is cool, or later in the evening when the sun goes down and they are ready for dinner) have been the best control for me. Many people make "slug hotels" or set beer traps, sprinkle salt or spray ammonia solutions on particularly affected plants. For me, I prefer to give them a quick death and do my daily rounds with pruning clippers in hand!

                Below we have taken excerpts from the book "Field Guide to the Slug", written by David George Gordon and published by Sasquatch Books in Seattle. This guide is a wonderful reference book to have around!                

Slugs don't sell them short: Slugs and snails belong to one of the most successful groups of animals on our planet, the phylum Mollusca. The estimated 100,000 living species in this huge phylum share some important characteristics; namely, they are all invertebrates (animals without backbones), they have soft bodies, and most have hard shells made of calcium. Familiar mollusks include oysters, clams, octopuses, squid, conchs and cowries.

In general, slugs are between one-half an inch to ten inches in length, depending on the species. Their life span is one to six years. As for feeding, they eat whatever the forest and field have to offer: fungi, lichens, green plants, worms, centipedes, certain insects, animal feces, carrion and other slugs. Their eggs are usually small, less than one-quarter inch in diameter, often with a thick outer shell of calcium carbonate; laid in clutches of 3 to 50, with some species laying as many as 500 eggs per year. Their predators include small mammals, snakes, amphibians, some birds, carnivorous beetles, other slugs and humans.

To help in your planting, below we are giving you two lists: One of plants that slugs avoid, and one of plants they LOVE!

PLANTS SLUGS AVOID EATING:

  • Agapanthus
  • Alocasia
  • Anemone japonica or nemorosa
  • Arum italicum
  • Aspidistra
  • Astilbe
  • Baby's tears
  • Bamboo
  • Bedding begonias
  • Begonia 'Cleopatra'
  • Bleeding heart
  • Bromeliads
  • Campanula poscharskyana
  • Coral bells
  • Cyclamen
  • Dichondra
  • Duchenesea
  • Endymion hispanicus
  • Epimedium (taller species)
  • Evergreen candy tuft
  • Ferns
  • Foxglove
  • Galium odoratum
  • Gaultheria
  • Hedychium
  • Impatiens
  • Ivy
  • Juniper
  • Kenilworth Ivy
  • Linnaea
  • London Pride
  • Nandina
  • Oxalis oregona
  • Sansevieria
  • Sedum (except S. maximus)
  • Sempervivum
  • Solomon's Seal
  • Taxus
  • Thalictrum
  • Thymus serpyllum
  • Viola hederacea or rupestris
  • Wandering Jew

    • PLANTS SLUGS LOVE TO EAT:

  • Asarum
  • Athyrium goeringianum
  • Campanula carpatica, isophylla, and other low-growing forms
  • Doronicum
  • Erythronium
  • Gentians (autumn-flowering)
  • Lettuce
  • Lilies
  • Lobelia (perennial)
  • Narcissus (including daffodils)
  • Parochetus communis
  • Primroses
  • Strawberries
  • Trillium
  • Tuberous begonias
  • Viola sororia

    • In addition to the above list, I have found that Crambe cordifolia is absolutely CHEESECAKE for slugs! They get an early start on the plant as it is young and if you don't catch them quick, you end up with leaves with an unique 'nibble' pattern! I find they are particularly fond of most of the variegated hostas in my garden, while leaving the blue-toned ones totally alone. And my poor Ligularia looks pretty shredded if I don't keep an eye on that one too!

    If you have a problem with slugs - try to look at it as I do: because of them, I spend much more time in the garden, and isn't that a GOOD thing?

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