Gardening with (and without) slugs and snails

Gardening in what's referred to as a global gastropod biodiversity hotspot (Oregon), means dealing with slugs and snails. There are a variety of ways to help prevent damage to your plants. Here is a collection of resources from OSU Extension.

Slug chat with OSU slug expert Rory McDonnell

Watch the 45-minute lunchtime SLUG CHAT with Associate Professor and Primary Investigator of OSU’s Invertebrate Crop Pest Lab, Rory McDonnell. Dr. McDonnell’s work focuses on understanding the ecology of invasive slugs and snails,...

LeAnn Locher, Rory Mc Donnell | May 2024 | Video

Can essential oils control slugs?

Q: I've heard essentials oils may be useful in keeping slugs away from my plants and vegetables. Is this true?

A: View answer | View all featured questions

Control slugs now as they lay eggs to hatch in spring

Slugs aren’t crazy about winter and summer. They bail from cold or hot weather. But fall and spring are agreeable seasons for slugs.

Kym Pokorny | Oct 28, 2022 | News story

Slugs and snails, destructors of crops and gardens, could be controlled by bread dough

Bread dough is a nontoxic, generic and effective tool that could be used in the detection and management of gastropods worldwide.

Kym Pokorny | Aug 18, 2021 | News story

How to create a slug trap using bread dough slurry

This tutorial walks you through the steps and ingredients needed to create a slug trap using bread dough as an attractant. The steps shown here are an interpretation of the OSU field research, made approachable for a home ...

LeAnn Locher, Rory Mc Donnell | Jun 2024 | Educational gallery Peer reviewed (Gray level)

How to Control Slugs in Your Garden / Cómo Controlar a las Babosas en su Jardín

Practical tips on how to deal with slugs in your garden, given in both English and Spanish.

Neil Bell, Amy J. Dreves | Apr 2021 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Microscopic worm that liquefies slugs may be answer to controlling this invasive pest

In Oregon at least half of the 20 top agricultural commodities suffer from slug damage.

Kym Pokorny | Nov 16, 2020 | News story

Get Slugs out of your Garden!

Learn about different methods to keep slugs out of your garden. Make your own traps from items around your house.

Brooke Edmunds | Jun 2020 | Video

Will banana slugs eat my plants?

Q: Are banana slugs harmful to my flower or vegetable garden? I remember learning that they are beneficial but I would like to clarify. The internet is giving me very mixed answers.

A: View answer | View all featured questions

Used appropriately, coffee grounds improve soil and kill slugs

Coffee grounds can be worked into the soil or added to a compost pile but should be done with some restraint.

Kym Pokorny | Jun 23, 2023 | News story

Snakes slither through the garden eating slugs, grubs and other pests

Create habitat to attract beneficial snakes to the yard

Kym Pokorny | Feb 27, 2015 | News story

How can I use my garden snails?

Q: How can I make the snails in my yard useful? I know it's a long shot, but I figured the MG team would think of something, if anyone could. I'm sick of killing them. Can I move them to my compost pile? We do a ...

A: View answer | View all featured questions

May 2024

Want to learn more about this topic? Explore more resources from OSU Extension: Gardening techniques, Integrated pest management

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Kym Pokorny | Nov 20, 2020 | News story

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