What are some effective slug traps?

Beer traps and diatomaceous earth are both effective at trapping slugs. Bury a container even with the soil, and fill it with beer. Slugs, attracted to the fermented yeast in the beer, should crawl in and drown. Diatomaceous earth is composed of sharp, fossilized diatoms made of silicon, so when slugs crawl across the powder, they are cut and become dehydrated.

Slugs feed on living and decaying plants. They chew holes in leaves and flowers and can chew fruit as well as young plant bark. Fruits close to the ground are particularly at risk. Eliminating all hiding places is the best way to prevent damage from these pests.

Slugs are members of the mollusk phylum. A relative of snails, the slug lacks an external shell. A slug's movement is facilitated by a slime secreting muscular foot. The slime helps them glide along and leaves the trail that is a signal of their presence.

Slugs are hermaphrodites, meaning both the male and female have the potential to lay eggs. Slugs can lay up to 40 eggs at a time beneath leaves, in soil cracks or in other protected areas. They are most active at night and provide problems throughout the year in areas with milder winters.