Kirsten Brichler is an adjunct professor at Southwest Minnesota State University, and Douglas Pfeiffer is a professor of entomology at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA.
Most people who have grown strawberries or vegetables in the Southeast have had their experiences with slugs. These pests damage low-growing vegetable tissue and can be difficult to control. Here we will present some general information on this group, whose biological details are poorly known to most.
As spring arrives and your strawberries start to ripen, you’ll likely notice ragged holes appearing in the fruits. Slugs are probably to blame. These pests love feasting on juicy strawberries, but there are many ways to stop them. With a bit of diligent slug control, you can enjoy an abundant strawberry harvest free of slug damage.
Why Slugs Love Strawberries
Slugs are strongly attracted to strawberries for a few key reasons
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Sweet flavor – Ripe strawberries contain high amounts of sugars that slugs find irresistible. Other ripe fruits also attract slugs.
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Low-growing – Strawberry plants grow close to the ground making the fruits easy for slugs to access.
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Moist habitat – Slugs thrive in the consistently moist soil that strawberries need. Frequent watering creates ideal slug habitat.
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Ethylene – The ethylene gas produced by ripening strawberries helps draw in slugs. They use this gas to locate fruits.
With such a tempting target, it’s no wonder slugs flock to strawberry patches. But there are many effective organic methods to stop them.
10 Organic Ways to Keep Slugs Off Strawberries
Here are 10 strategies to protect your strawberries from slug damage:
1. Remove Hiding Spots
Eliminate weed overgrowth, mulch, and garden debris near your strawberries. This denies slugs moist places to hide during the day.
2. Apply Diatomaceous Earth
Spread a 3-4 inch ring of diatomaceous earth around each plant. The sharp particles kill slugs that try to cross this abrasive barrier.
3. Use Slug Traps
Bury traps containing beer or yeast mixture near (but not touching) your strawberries. Slugs attracted to the traps will drown.
4. Attract Slugs with Citrus Peels
Place citrus halves in your garden away from your strawberries. Slugs will hide inside them for easy removal.
5. Apply Slug-Killing Bait
Use pet-safe baits like Sluggo around the perimeter of your strawberry patch to kill slugs. Reapply after rain.
6. Switch to Drip Irrigation
Drip irrigation delivers water directly to roots, keeping leaves and fruits drier than sprinklers. Drier plants are less appealing to slugs.
7. Invite Natural Predators
Attract slug predators like garter snakes, toads, and ground beetles by avoiding pesticides and providing habitat.
8. Hand Pick Slugs
Go slug hunting at night with a flashlight and gloves. Toss slugs into soapy water or relocate them far away.
9. Use Copper Barriers
Slugs dislike crossing copper. Wrap strips of copper around planter edges to block slug entry.
10. Apply Spring Compost Mulch
Spread fresh compost around plants in spring to deter weeds and slugs before fruits appear.
When to Apply Slug Defenses
Be proactive with slug control in spring before fruits start ripening. Take these steps:
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Early spring – Remove hiding spots, apply diatomaceous earth, set out traps
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Late spring – Switch to drip irrigation, apply Sluggo bait, spread compost mulch
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Early summer – Check traps daily, hand pick slugs, maintain barriers
Slugs are most active at night and on cloudy, damp days. Go on evening slug patrols when they emerge. Persistence is key for effective slug control all season long.
Organic Slug Killers, Traps and Repellents
When shopping for slug deterrents, look for products approved for organic gardening. Here are some top options:
Diatomaceous Earth
- Chemical-free abrasive powder that kills insects
- Must be kept dry to be effective
Sluggo
- Iron phosphate bait that kills slugs safely
- Stays effective after rain
Copper Tape
- Slugs dislike crossing copper
- Wrap around pots and bed edges
Beer Traps
- Slugs attracted to fermented yeast drown
- Use plastic cups or containers
Citrus Peels
- Draw slugs away as they hide inside
- Easy to remove slugs once trapped
Compost Mulch
- Creates dry barrier layer on soil
- Added nutrition benefits plants
Stop Slugs and Enjoy Your Strawberry Harvest
A slug invasion can quickly ravage a promising crop of strawberries. But with consistent organic pest management, you can keep plants protected and enjoy mounds of perfect, slug-free berries.
Try trapping, hand picking, and using abrasive barriers right when fruits start to appear. Keep mulch away from plants and switch to drip irrigation to make your strawberry patch less slug-friendly. Natural predators and pet-safe baits will also reduce your slug problem.
With a multi-pronged approach, you can outsmart slugs and relax knowing your juicy strawberries will make it safely from garden to table. Just be diligent, use organic methods, and don’t give slugs a chance.
What do they do?
Slugs actually do damage to plants when they sandpaper-like tongue-like organ (called the radula) on the plant’s surface. Fruits will get rough holes in them, and plant leaves will get holes or “window-pane” damage (Fig. 5). Small seedlings may be eaten below their growing point and killed, and fruits with slug feeding are unmarketable. Feeding injury also leaves a point of invasion for other pests and diseases.
Slugs can be significant pests of fruit crops like strawberries. Low growing plants like strawberries create a shady, moist habitat that protects slugs from sunlight and predators. Soft fruits that grow close to the ground, like strawberries, are a great food source for slugs because they are easy to get to while the leaves protect them.
What is a slug?
Slugs are land-dwelling mollusks that are closely related to snails. The main distinguishing feature that sets slugs apart from snails is their lack of a shell. Slugs are soft-bodied, flexible, and have no legs. They have two sets of feelers on their heads. The ones on top have eyes, and the ones on the bottom are for smelling. There is a thickened, saddle-like structure on the dorsal surface called the mantle (Fig. 1); along the edges of the mantle are the genital openings, anus and respiratory openings. They are hermaphroditic animals, meaning that each individual will have male and female organs. This allows nearly any two individuals that meet to be able to mate and reproduce. Simultaneous reciprocal mating is common (Fig. 2). Mated slugs will then lay clutches of eggs that hatch into the next generation (Fig. 3a,b). The eggs in the s are laid out in the open, but in the wild, they are hidden under rocks or other safe places.
Slugs are very likely to die in hot, dry conditions because their bodies are soft and they don’t have a shell to protect them. They are most active during cool and wet times, such as during rainfall and night. Slugs will seek shelter under plant debris and in earthworm burrows during sunny and dry conditions.
Multiple species of slugs are common pests to various food crops and ornamental plants. These species of slugs are considered generalists and will eat a wide variety of plants and fungi. Common species include the gray garden slug (Deroceras reticulatum; Fig. 2), the marsh slug (Deroceras leave; Fig. 4), the dusky slug (Arion subfuscus), and the garden slug (Arion hortensis; Fig. 1). Although each species’ life cycles and adult sizes may be slightly different, they will all eat a wide range of plants.
How To Protect Your Strawberries From Slugs And Snails
FAQ
How do you keep slugs out of strawberries?
What repels slugs naturally?
Do coffee grounds keep slugs away from strawberries?
How do I protect my strawberries from being eaten?
Do strawberries attract slugs?
If you have strawberries in your garden, it’s very likely they’ll attract slugs. Slugs are drawn to strawberries due to the fruit’s high sugar content. There are other fruits that also attract slugs such as citrus. Slugs are also attracted to ethylene gas which is a byproduct of most ripening fruits.
How do you protect strawberries from slugs?
The most reliable and effective ways to protect strawberries from slugs are: Spread a ring of diatomaceous earth around your strawberry plants. Make a slug trap out of an old container with 1 inch (2.5 cm) of beer poured into it. Use organic methods of slug control, such as organic slug pellets.
How do you get slugs out of a strawberry plant?
Use citrus rind traps. Place rinds of oranges, lemons, or limes around the base of your strawberry plants. Slugs are attracted to citrus so you can gather and dispose of them each morning. Lay a barrier of diatomaceous earth (DE) 1 inch wide and 3 inches away from the plant and around the base of a plant.
Are slugs bad for strawberry plants?
Slugs can be a major problem for strawberry plants if not controlled. Not only do they feed on the fruit, leaves, and stems of the plants, causing damage to their overall health and production, but they also leave behind a slimy trail that can attract other pests and diseases.
Do strawberries get slugs & snails?
Wind will also blow away dry eggshells, diatomaceous earth, or coffee grounds and leave your plant unprotected. Moreover, slugs and snails, although slow, can travel from one garden to another, reproduce, and infest unprotected plants. Protecting only your strawberries will likely make your other plants susceptible to these pests.