By Mike Darcy
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As winter weather begins to fade, rising temperatures help inspire home gardeners to begin filling their landscapes with their favorite plants, flowers and vegetables. However, ready to emerge among the annuals, perennials and biennials is a pest population hungry to attack until fall.
Start Now, Thank Yourself Later
As I often remind home gardeners, if you can see slugs and snails in your garden, it is already too late. The trails of slime left across your garden are proof enough that you have a pest presence to contend with. However, in a short matter of time, home gardeners begin to realize the damage these voracious critters are capable of.
In order to quickly and decisively manage a pest population within a home garden, I recommend the following baiting techniques. Using slug baits, such as Corry’s® or Deadline®, with Meta® active ingredient, is an effective solution. These proven tips will help reduce the number of slugs present in your garden and therefore help your flowers and plants bloom to their full potential:
• Apply baits in cool, moist areas of the garden where snails and slugs are most likely to hide, including high grass and near rocks.
• Do not apply bait in wide open spaces, where slugs are rarely located.
• Reading directions and applying slug bait properly can ensure that results are economical, effective and efficient.
• Over-application does not increase effectiveness.
• Baits are available as pellets, liquid paste or meal - spread pellets in a manner that prevents them from clumping, or apply a thin “pencil line” ring of liquid bait. A light dusting of meal around the plant is also optimal.
Happy Gardening!
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