Slugs and snails

Slugs and snails are gastropods that feed by rasping plant tissue with an abrasive tongue. Attracted to moisture, they are mainly active at night, making holes in leaves to eat the tender parts and weakening the plant's structure. Without intervention, an infestation causes substantial defoliation, slows growth, and leaves the plant vulnerable to infection.

Signs to check

• Shiny, silvery mucus (slime) trails drying on leaves, the pot, or nearby surfaces.
• Irregular, smooth-edged holes in the centers of leaves or scalloped notches chewed into leaf edges.
• Damage appearing overnight, with the pests out of sight during the day.
• Pests visible at night or hiding in the potting mix, under the pot, or in the saucer during the day.

What you may see

• Scalloped notches in leaf edges · Leaf edges have neat, regular semicircular cutouts, as though punched out along the margin.
• Clean-edged holes in leaves · Round or oval perforations with clean edges appear in the leaf blade, with no discoloration around them.

What to do now

Get rid of slugs and snails

1. Inspect your plants in the evening with a flashlight or very early in the morning, when gastropods are most active.
2. Remove every slug and snail you find by hand. This is the most direct and effective short-term method.
3. Create a physical barrier around the base of the plant. Sprinkle a ring of crushed eggshells or diatomaceous earth; their sharp edges discourage slugs and snails from crawling over them.
4. Set a beer trap. Bury a small container, such as a yogurt cup, level with the soil and fill it halfway with beer. Attracted by the smell, they will fall in and drown.
5. Check traps and barriers every morning for a week to remove captured pests and refresh the bait or barrier as needed.

Prevention

• Water plants in the morning rather than the evening so the soil surface and foliage dry before nightfall.
• Avoid leaving standing water in saucers.
• Remove potential hiding places, such as dead leaves and plant debris around pots.
• Ensure good air circulation between plants to reduce ambient humidity.