Wont Grow A Shell

I have had this discussion more times then I thought I ever would. This is a slug. This is not a snail. This has never been, nor will it ever be a snail. Its not a bad thing not knowing this, I firmly believed this as a kid. My mum was an avid gardener so she taught me otherwise as I got older. So in all honesty it just amuses me explaining to people that slugs are not snails that have lost their shell, nor are they snails that havent yet grown their shell. They a different species to snail, but still belong to the mollusc family, hence the reason they look similar. Like a snail, they can retract their feelers or regrow them if they are cut off. The feelers are the stalks at the front of the head. The top two sense light, the bottom two sense smell. When disturbed a slug will contract its self, making it smaller, denser and much harder to pick up.

If you have slugs in the garden, the removal methods are much the same as snails. You can walk round picking them off and stomping on them. After rainfall is best for this as they are more active. You can set beer traps (old beer in containers which the slugs fall into and drown, make sure you cover over the top of the container as slugs and snails dont like to be exposed to predators). Yes, I have heard that this is a waste of perfectly good beer. Slugs and snails like the stuff, you can substitute vegemite dissolved in water, but its not as effective. Get a duck! If you can. Ducks love slugs and snails, so if you have one as a pet, let it loose every so often. Finally if you really have to put snail pellets about, buy a brand called Multiguard. Its the only one Ive found to be fairly pet friendly. Its based on an Iron compound to kill the slugs/snails, so it breaks down into fertilizer. Its not detrimental to pets, but as always sprinkle the pellets, DO NOT HEAP THEM. I know theyre pet friendly, but Im sure eating a box of the stuff cant be good for them.