Slugs And Snails

Identifying Characteristics

• Snails and Slugs are similar in structure and biology, except that slugs lack the snail’s external spiral shell
• Most slugs and snails are dark or light gray, tan, green, or black in color
• Some have spots or patterns
• Brown Garden Snail is most common to cause damage
• Brown Garden Snail has a brown, coiled shell and gray body
  • Shells on their backs are 1 to 1 1/2 inches long
• Another is the White Garden Snail
• Common species of slugs include the Gray Garden Slug, the Banded Slug, the Three-Band Garden Slug, the Tawny Slug, and the Greenhouse Slug
• Glide along on a muscular “foot”
• Muscle constantly secretes mucus, which facilitates their movement and later dries to form the silvery slime trail that signals the recent presence of either pest, the slug or the snail

Live throughout the world

1-5 years, depending on the species

Cool, wet weather

Often attach themselves to tree trunks, fences, or walls.

• Create irregular holes with smooth edges on leaves and flowers by scraping with there rap-like tongues
• Prefer succulent foliage or flowers
• Small succulent plant parts are easily clipped by snail and slug feeding

• Snails and slugs hibernate in the topsoil during cold weather
• Snails and slugs can be active throughout the year in areas with mild winters
• During hot, dry periods, snails will estivate (hibernation during hot weather) by sealing themselves off with a parchment-like membrane
• Most active at night and on cloudy or foggy days
• On sunny days, they seek hiding places out of the heat and bright light

Both are hermaphrodites, so all are able to lay eggs after making

Snails:

• Adult brown snails lay an average of 80 spherical, pearly white eggs at a time into a hole in the soil
• Can lay up to 6 times a year
• Darker colored eggs are close to hatching
• Takes about 2 years for snails to mature

Slugs:

• Reach maturity after 3 to 6 months, depending on species
• Slugs lay translucent oval to round eggs in batches of 3 to 40 beneath leaves, soil cracks, and in other protected areas

• Variety of living plants and on decaying plant matter
• Primarily pests of seedlings and herbaceous plants
• Turf grass seedlings
• Ripening fruits that are close to the ground, such as strawberries and tomatoes
• Plant bark and foliage to fruit of some trees
• Citrus are especially susceptible to damage
• Often confused with feeding by other pests such as earwigs, caterpillars, and other chewing insects