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Slug and Snail Control
- Use iron phosphate baits, and traps -
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Summary: Slug and snail control requires patience. You can use either low toxicity, iron phosphate baits or labor intensive yeast-based traps. Either way, but especially wih traps, you'll need to be persistent.
Jack DeAngelis, PhD
OSU Ext. Entomologist (ret.)
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 Your goal should be to reduce the number of slugs and snails in your garden to some acceptable level. There is no need to try to completely eliminate them.
You'll probably need to trap and bait every year, or at least every other year, to accomplish an acceptable level of control. If you are diligent you can reduce slug and snail numbers so they no longer pose an important concern. Slug and snail control involves three basic steps -- exclusion, trapping, and/or baiting.
Exclude slugs and snails
Copper foil strips, available from many garden supply stores, are an effective barrier for excluding slugs and snails from raised beds, benches or pots. Be careful not to trap them inside with the plants, however. Where possible, remove piles of debris and other material that may serve as shelter. Hand-pick slugs and snails when you find them inside the enclosures and drop them into soapy water.
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Trap slug and snails with yeast-based baits
Slugs and snails are highly attracted to any yeasty odor so both traps and baits typically have a yeast component. Homemade traps that contain beer are the least expensive type of trap but are labor intensive because they need to be serviced every few days. Commercial traps also are available.
Use safer iron-based slug baits
Slug baits are usually bran-based flakes, pastes or pellets plus a molluscicide, or slug poison. Baits are easier to use than traps but they can pose a danger because they are also attractive to pets and wildlife.
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The big news in the last few years has been the introduction of safer-to-use poison baits. Older baits contain the active ingredient metaldehyde (Deadline, etc.). Metaldehyde baits are a risk to pets and wildlife from accidental poisoning (see below). New baits use iron, or ferric, phosphate as the active ingredient. These baits are effective and pose little threat to pets and wildlife. Use poison baits in the fall and spring when these pests are most active in the garden.
Slug and snail predators
Finally slugs and snails have many natural enemies. Predators such as birds, snakes, and small mammals as well as insects like ground beetles and even a predatory snail contribute to overall reduction in slug and snail populations. Care should be taken to especially encourage small snakes. Don't kill these important slug predators!
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Metaldehyde slug bait poisoning
Metaldehyde is the active ingredient in some older slug and snail baits. It may be formulated as pellets, flakes, liquid, or paste. Metaldehyde is usually formulated with bran or molasses that attracts slugs and snails but also is highly attractive to dogs, and some wildlife. Ingestion of metaldehyde causes vomiting, heart irregularities, breathing difficulty, tremors and even death. There is no antidote. Many dogs have been fatally poisoned. For additional information and clinical symptoms visit the ASPCA site.
If baits containing metaldehyde are used, use them sparingly and try to put them in places where slugs and snails find them but other animals will not. Another potential problem is that wildlife may ingest slugs and snails that have ingested metaldehyde and are thus poisoned.
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Mission: To provide accurate, up-to-date and unbiased information for solving common insect and mite problems around your home, business and landscape using least-toxic methods.
Jack DeAngelis, Ph.D.
Please see the Disclaimer statements as well (sorry, but these are necessary).
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