Question
Hello,
We get a LOT of snails and slugs, front and back, and some of them are huge, too (where do they come from?)  They crawl up our house, shrivel and die.  What's a safe way of getting rid of these little creatures?  We don't have a garden, just lawn and a few bushes.  We can't figure out why they're drawn to our property.  None of our neighbors have this problem!
Thanks for your time.
Regards,
Marci  

Answer
Marci, snails and slugs are attracted to garden beds that supply hiding places during the day to protect them from the sun.  These usually are beds that are heavily mulched.  They also love wet and damp areas.

I, too, have had many heartaches over the damage slugs have done to my plants over the years.  I have tried everything including beer traps, diatomaceous earth, homemade traps, and copper.  I must admit that I've had moderate success with the beer, but it would evaporate each day and got expensive to maintain.

I am happy to say that I've finally discovered an effective deterrent.  It is a product sold by a company named Gardens Alive, and is called Escar-Go.  Although it is a pesticide, it is organic, and is therefore non-toxic to humans and pets.  It also stays active and solid even after a heavy rain.  Just sprinkle small amounts around each plant, and reapply every 10 days.  In case you're interested, click on the attached website and search for Escar-Go.

http://www.gardensalive.com/

If the area is large, making this product impractical, try spraying the soil with an ammonia solution.  Mix one tbs. lemon ammonia and one tbs. of non-concentrated dishwashing liquid per gallon of water. You'll need to apply this solution twice per week, and preferable in the early morning hours when slugs are most active.

Recent studies have also shown that slugs are deterred by coffee grounds. Many gardeners apply used coffee grounds to their soil as an organic amendment.  These same studies have shown that plants with old coffee grounds sprinkled around them have 80% fewer slugs than those not treated.
It also has shown that the coffee grounds kill young slugs. They suspect it is the caffeine, but they are still researching the actual cause and effect.

I hope this helps.  Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike