Snails and Slugs
My children love slugs and snails (I know gross). And while I don’t particularly care for them, I have come to terms with the fact that they are going to be a part of my garden. So…. my children get their bug containers and start an entire slug rescue mission. WHY? Because they know that I will rid of them at all costs. Last year I planted some hostas. They were sprouting beautifully and then all of a sudden my hostas started to look like Swiss cheese. This year I decided to prepare myself. I did a lot of research on these little creatures and have found some interesting facts about slugs.
A slug is a gastropod mollusk and a snail is a gastropod mollusk with a hard outer shell. Slugs for the most part do not have shells or have a very very small internal shell. There are approximately 40 different species of snails in the U.S. but only half of them are considered pests. Snails and slugs have soft, slimy bodies which is why they must have a damp areas for hiding and avoiding desiccation (drying out). This would be why most slugs are out and about after a good rain and why you can usually find them under stones, boards, debris, low branches and weeded areas when its hot and dry. Their tentacles, which detect light and smell, can break and easily grow back. As they move, they emit a mucus which helps to protect the body, especially the foot that moves it along. The mucus also leaves a trail for other slugs to follow and can protect it from predators by making it hard to grasp. Slugs are also self producing-hermaphrodites. They have both female and male organs. In some cases they do mate with other slugs, but because their penises are hooked, they have to chew them off in order to be released from their mate. If it were up to me, I’d just be a party of one!!! 🙂
As far as the environment is concerned, slugs do have some positive roles in the ecosystem. They eat dead leaves, fungus (mushrooms), and decaying veggies. Some slugs are carnivores and eat other slugs, snails and worms. They help cycle organic matter which builds rich soil and they are food to other wildlife such as birds, turtles, toads, snakes, possums, raccoons, geese, chickens and ducks. While this is ok for regular wildlife and the natural environment, gardeners are faced with a unique set of problem with slugs because slugs love to feast in gardens. Visit my slug prevention blog post to learn organic ways to rid your garden of these creatures.