This article can help you get rid of slugs
and snails from your garden and landscape. Slugs
and snails are terrestrial (land) mollusks,
related to clams and shellfish. The difference
between snails and slugs is snails have an external shell
whereas slugs do not, otherwise they are very similar. Both are garden pests in wet
climates where they shred plants, especially
tender leaves, with rasping-type "teeth".
In the US slug and snails are most
important on the west coast and in southern
states. Plant damage is usually ragged and
irregular, leaves appear shredded. Sometimes in the morning
silvery "slime trails" can be found that
mark where these critters crawled the night before.
Outside the garden, slugs and snails
actually do beneficial things. They recycle
organic matter helping to build soils and they
are important prey for other wildlife. Inside
the garden and landscape, however, slugs and
snails can do considerable damage and often must
be controlled.