SNAILS & SLUGS

Slugs have soft, unsegmented bodies, exude a slimy mucous-like substance and possess the ability to elongate and contract their bodies.

                    

                                    

Snails, as seen on the leaf in the center of these slides, are related to slugs but possess a shell within which the body can be retracted when disturbed. Both can be pests in the greenhouse. These pests are voracious feeders and usually do their damage at night. This damage is often blamed on worms or other insects. Look for these pests hiding in moist, dark areas, such as under flats or pots during the day. Introductions of slugs and snails into production areas may occur in soil, or on pots and trays previously stored on the soil. Invasion also may occur from outside vegetation. The snail in the picture on the left is Bradybaena similaris (Ferussac, 1821).
More information on snails and slugs can be viewed at "Insect and Related Pests of Flowers and Foliage Plants". Click here to go there now!

You can also visit a very nice site for IPM in the Pacific Northwest. PACIFIC NORTHWEST NURSERY IPM -Snails and Slugs

 

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Lance S. Osborne: lsosborn@ufl.edu
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Revised: Oct. 2015