B-1050.3

Slugs often are present in the garden or greenhouse environment, occasionally becoming pests of landscape, vegetable, and greenhouse plants in Wyoming. These animals usually cause little concern but can sometimes initiate plant damage when present in high numbers.

Slugs, snails, and slug sawflies describes the body forms and life history of the animals. The four-page bulletin explains the plant damages that may be caused and management techniques to prevent infestations.

"Over watering and use of mulches create the most common conditions by which slug and snail populations grow to damaging levels," Donahue and Brewer explain. "If slugs have been problems previously, the use of mulches should be delayed as long as possible to reduce early buildup in the summer."