Effective methods of controlling slugs. Eating snail and slug meat, recipes for dishes made from snails and slugs Slugs care and maintenance at home

Slug (slug)- common name for a series gastropods, which during evolutionary development have undergone reduction or complete loss of the shell ( slugs - English; limaces – French; Nacktschnecken - German.). Slugs are contrasted with gastropods with well-developed shells (snails). The slug form independently arose in several groups of aquatic and terrestrial gastropods, therefore the totality of all species is considered not as a taxon, but as ecological form . Sometimes slugs that have retained a rudimentary shell are called semislugs.

It is assumed that the reduction and subsequent loss of the shell had environmental prerequisites and occurred, for example, during the transition to living in dense thickets aquatic plants or forest floor. According to another hypothesis, the cause was a deficiency of calcium necessary for the construction of shells in the regions where the groups in which the slug form arose were formed. An important consequence of poor development or absence of a shell is the inability to isolate itself from the environment when attacked by a predator or the onset of unfavorable (for example, drought) conditions.

Structure

The body of land slugs is quite elongated in length, but is capable of changing shape due to muscle contractions. Among slugs they are found as “giants”, the length of which when moving exceeds 20 cm ( Eumilax brandti, Limax maximus, Arion ater), and “dwarfs” - no more than 2 cm ( Arion intermedins, Deroceras laeve). Externally, slugs have bilateral symmetry. It is disrupted only by the unpaired pulmonary foramen located on the right. The skin epithelium secretes a large amount of mucus, which prevents the skin from drying out, promotes better gliding over the surface, and also repels predators.

Like other gastropods, slugs have three body parts: head, leg, and visceral mass. The latter, due to the absence of a shell, does not form an internal sac, but a notum spread out along the dorsal side of the leg (lat. notum - back). On the head there are contractile tentacles (one or two pairs), on which sensory organs are located (developed eyes, organs of tactile and chemical senses). Behind the head on the dorsal side there is a mantle with an unpaired pulmonary opening (pneumostome) leading to the mantle cavity, which functions as a lung. The anus is located next to the pneumostomy.

© Håkan Svensson

Terrestrial slugs are characterized by hermaphroditism (sometimes sequential) and internal fertilization.

Ecology

Probably due to the lack of sufficiently effective devices to prevent dehydration, slugs live only in moist biotopes, such as, for example, litter deciduous forests. In the ecosystems existing there, they play a significant role, eating fallen leaves, non-lignified parts of living plants, as well as mushrooms (including those that are poisonous to other organisms). Typically, slugs give preference to relatively juicy and soft parts of the plant, avoiding areas with hard covers or vascular-fibrous bundles.

The choice of food largely depends on the nature of the vegetation growing in the immediate vicinity of the shelters in which the slugs hide. daytime, and also on the age of the animals - adult slugs willingly eat rougher food than young ones.

Newly hatched slugs feed on the remains of their own eggs and unhatched eggs from the same clutch, and then switch to feeding on humus and decaying plant debris. Only with age does fresh plant food take up an increasing place in their diet.

Due to the fact that slug activity most often occurs at night and twilight, they mainly feed at this time. The greatest gluttony of slugs coincides with the period of intensive growth, i.e. before and at the beginning of reproduction, and sharply decreases towards the beginning of copulation (coupling during sexual intercourse) and during the period of oviposition. During this time, slugs do not feed.

Representatives of some species are predators and necrophages, eating living soil invertebrates (for example, other gastropods and earthworms) and their corpses.

The feeding intensity of this predator is quite high. Thus, in the summer, on average, one slug 2 cm long eats one worm 4-6 cm long or an equivalent number of smaller worms every day.

Slugs have a fairly wide range of enemies, including predators. Many vertebrates feed on them, however, there are no specific “slug eaters” among them. Of the mammals, slugs are readily eaten by hedgehogs, moles, shrews and some mouse-like rodents; Birds include rooks, jackdaws, starlings and some seagulls, and poultry include chickens and ducks. Slugs are also part of the diet of many frogs, toads, salamanders, lizards and snakes.

Among invertebrate insects, many insects feed on slugs. There are especially many of them among ground beetles (Carabidae).

© Spleines

Reproduction

Slugs are hermaphrodites and have both male and female reproductive organs.

After meeting their partner, they surround each other with sperm, which they exchange through their protruding genitals. There are times when the slugs' genitals become entangled with each other, and if the slugs fail to free themselves, they may allow the penis to separate. After this, the slugs are able to reproduce only with the female part of the reproductive system.

© Lipedia

Economic importance

In the practical activities of people, the role of slugs is manifested in two aspects: as transmitters of dangerous helminthiases for domestic and commercial animals and as pests of many cultivated plants.

Slugs are pests of cultivated plants. Slugs damage a very wide range of grains, vegetables, flowers, industrial crops, as well as citrus and grape plantations. Every year, many countries publish special brochures and bulletins informing about the harmful activities of slugs, giving forecasts for the near future and instructing farmers on how to deal with these pests. Although it has not yet been possible to accurately calculate the losses that slugs cause annually in all countries of the world, it is clear that they are very significant. In addition, harmful slugs are different from many other pests. Agriculture very widespread.

Slugs damage a very wide range of crops. Tubers and foliage of potatoes, white cabbage and cauliflower, lettuce, various root vegetables (foliage and areas of root vegetables protruding from the soil), seedlings and young shoots of many vegetables, bean and pea leaves, strawberries, cucumbers and tomatoes. They cause less harm to red cabbage, parsley, garlic, onions, leaves of ripening cucumbers and strawberries.

They cause especially significant harm to winter wheat and rye, eating both newly sown grains and their seedlings. Oats and barley are less affected by slugs; They practically do not touch spring wheat, flax and buckwheat.

Damage caused by slugs is very characteristic and easily distinguishable from traces of the activity of other agricultural pests. They usually gnaw out irregularly shaped holes in the leaves, leaving only the leaf stem and the largest veins intact. On root crops, potato tubers, strawberries, tomatoes and cucumbers, they gnaw out cavities of various shapes and sizes, usually expanding inward.

In cabbage, they damage not only the surface and ground leaves, but also gnaw out deep depressions in the head of cabbage. They gnaw out both the germ and the endosperm in cereal grains.

A characteristic feature of such damage is numerous traces of frozen mucus, piles of feces and soil. In addition to direct harm, slugs cause indirect harm by contaminating crop products and promoting their rotting, thereby reducing snoring time.

Crawling from one plant to another, slugs contribute to the spread of various fungal and viral diseases among agricultural crops - cabbage spot, downy mildew of lima beans, late blight of potatoes. These diseases can cause losses to the farm no less, and often more, than the direct harmful activities of slugs. The fact that many of them willingly supplement their diet with fungal hyphae further contributes to the infection of plants by fungal diseases.

Regulation of numbers

Preventing damage caused by slugs

The very first preventive measure is competent gardening. This includes various techniques aimed at improving the quality and structure of the soil, correct selection of plants, timeliness of all garden work, maintaining garden hygiene, attracting birds and other beneficial fauna for natural pest control (in this case, lizards, frogs, toads, fireflies and some other beetles, as well as hedgehogs), mutually beneficial proximity and crop rotation, and much more. All these measures help strengthen the plants, because strong plants can resist attacks much better garden pests and diseases.

Mechanical controls

Towards physical barriers These include special plastic gutters that are attached along the perimeter of prefabricated beds. Such gutters are filled with water, which serves as a mechanical barrier for slugs. Any dry, porous material, as well as pea gravel, crushed shells and eggshells, are unpalatable surfaces for slugs and snails and therefore work well as row filler. However, it should be kept in mind that in rainy weather their effectiveness is significantly reduced. The action of a special ecological granular material (Slug Stoppa Granules) is based on the same principle, which are scattered around the plants and act throughout the season. Granules create a physical barrier for slugs and snails: they absorb moisture and mucus, dry out the surface of their bodies, making it impossible for pests to move. Wide plastic rims with a bent edge are also available for sale, which are fixed in the ground around plants and keep snails and slugs away from the plant. Planting vegetables in raised beds or tubs, staking legumes, tomatoes and squash at the right time, using clear plastic covers (such as the bottom halves of large plastic water bottles) and plastic covers for young vulnerable plants all make plants physically desirable to slugs. less accessible.

You can collect snails and slugs by hand in the evening or after rain, in order to then destroy them (for example, in a strong saline solution or boiling water) or take them somewhere away from gardens and cultivated plantings (this option is more humane, but also more labor-intensive). Live slugs and snails should not be placed in a cold compostarium, as in favorable conditions the adults will lay eggs. Special traps for slugs and snails are a bowl covered with an umbrella-roof. The trap is installed so that the entrances are at ground level. The bowl is filled with beer, fruit juice or other bait (the tasty smell attracts snails and slugs), the roof prevents rainwater and debris from getting inside. In the absence of such a trap, pour the bait into simple bowls from an old unnecessary set and dig it flush with the soil surface on the ridges and borders with the plants most beloved by snails. Check and empty traps regularly in the morning.

To distractions You can include old leaves and tops of plants loved by slugs (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, comfrey, etc.) scattered among the plantings. I personally successfully use this method in a greenhouse, where it helps to keep in check not only slugs, but also woodlice: having become carried away by eating this waste, they no longer crawl to the growing vegetables. Periodically, leaves and the pests that eat them can be collected and replaced with new ones.

Electrical controls

Garden centers have self-adhesive tapes, rims, or copper-coated covering material made from copper (Shocka brand). Contact with copper gives the clams a slight electrical shock, so they will not want to cross the copper barrier. Recently, headbands with a small battery have come on sale, which also give snails and slugs a small electric shock when crossing.

Biological control agents

Phyto-control means

Plants that slugs and snails do not like and try to avoid include, first of all, garlic, as well as many (but not all!) aromatic plants (lavender, sage, santolina, thyme, rosemary, laurel, etc.), which they never touch. Garlic is used by manufacturers of special herbal infusions that repel slugs. Infusions of garlic, hot pepper, and mustard are well-known folk remedies for fighting slugs and snails.

© Daniel Ullrich

Chemical Controls

Metaldehyde granules are commercially available (sold in Russia under the trademarks Groza and Meta) - an effective means of attracting and killing slugs and snails. The packaging states that the product is poisonous to pets and people if it enters their digestive system. The high toxicity of the product is also indicated by the fact that Bitrex (the most bitter substance) is added to it to scare away animals and children if they suddenly decide to feast on the beautiful blue granules. Manufacturers claim that when used correctly, the product is completely harmless to people, pets and the environment, however, warnings are often found in the horticultural press. Metaldehyde should be stored and used with great care. Wash vegetables and herbs especially carefully if you have used metaldehyde in the garden. I scatter blue granules exclusively around ornamental plants(hosta, delphinium, lofant, etc.) and only in early spring, when young leaves emerge from the ground and are especially vulnerable to slugs and snails.

Caffeine is harmful to slugs and snails

Caffeine, in an aqueous solution applied to soil or plant leaves, repels and kills slugs and snails, presumably by disrupting their nervous systems. Hawaiian scientists from the US Department of Agriculture came to this conclusion as a result of a series of experiments. According to scientists, a 1- or 2-percent solution kills even large individuals (although it discolors the leaves of some plants), and a 0.1-percent solution confuses pests, speeding up the heartbeat, and scares them away from the plantations. To get a 0.1 percent caffeine solution, you can, for example, dissolve a double dose of instant coffee in a cup of water.

• Likharev. I.M., Victor A.Y./ Slugs of the fauna of the USSR and neighboring countries (Gastropoda terrestria nuda). - L., "Science", 1980. - 438 p. (In the series: Fauna of the USSR. Mollusks. Vol. III, issue 5).

What could be better and healthier than vegetables and fruits from the garden, which are rich in various vitamins. Each summer resident annually encounters a variety of vegetable pests. Especially in rainy summers, many gardeners suffer from infestations of slugs and snails. These insects are capable of destroying not only the green mass of cultivated plants, but also their fruits. If small abrasions are found on the crops in any part, as if on a grater, and the earth around the beds shines, it means there are slugs in the garden. About how to get rid traditional methods from these pests will be discussed below.

Description

Benefits of insects

Before you get rid of slugs in your garden, you should also familiarize yourself with the positive aspects of their life on the site. In addition to cultivated plants, slugs can eat various lichens, mushrooms, fallen leaves and other unnecessary vegetation, acting as a kind of orderly in the garden plot.

Many fishermen know how to get rid of slugs. After all, they simply collect these invertebrates for bait, and sometimes they specifically breed them for these purposes. Domestic chickens also love slugs, so many owners of farms with these birds also collect and specially breed slugs to feed chickens.

Insect damage

Before you get rid of slugs on summer cottage, it is necessary to correctly identify them favorite places collection Since insects preferentially night look life, it is not easy to notice them. You can determine where the pests were by the silvery trace left on the ground and leaves from their mucus, as well as by the crops they ate.

Food for slugs can easily become:

• tomatoes;
• strawberry and wild strawberry fruits;
• cucumbers;
• cabbage;
• Sweet pepper;
• any young shoots;
• harvest of fruit trees.

The need to fight

In addition to aesthetic damage to the crop, slugs can also pose a danger to the health of humans and their pets. The fact is that these pests are capable of spreading fungal spores and worm larvae. That is why, when you find traces of invertebrate activity on a site, you need to ask yourself as soon as possible how to get rid of slugs in the garden.

Prevention measures

In order not to be interested in information in the future on how to get rid of slugs in your garden beds, it is better to secure your garden in advance and prevent their appearance, because doing this is much easier than later removing established pests from the area.

The main preventive way to get rid of slugs is to reduce and, if possible, completely remove too wet and shaded areas in the garden.

They are localized at night precisely:

• in heaps of weeded grass;
• in places where organic residues accumulate;
• under boards or other shelters.

All places on the surface of the earth where sunlight does not penetrate should be carefully checked and, if possible, removed.

How to get rid of slugs in the countryside yet? In the fall, it is necessary to carry out deep digging of the soil so that their eggs freeze out in the winter, because pests lay them in the ground. By the way, this preventative measure will help get rid of many other pests.

It will also be useful to attract natural orderlies to the site in the form of frogs, hedgehogs and birds. Slugs are food for them in natural environment, therefore, having lured them to the garden, you don’t have to worry that invertebrates will appear in large numbers. Birdhouses are usually made for birds, a small pond can be made for frogs, and a wintering area should be prepared for hedgehogs. The animal will definitely appreciate such a house, but you will first need to lure it with milk or another treat.

Ecological methods

If a slug appears on a pepper, nature itself will tell you how to get rid of it. In such a situation, it is best to manually collect pests every morning from the beds and other places where they are located.

Most often they gather:

• near iron watering cans;
• in places where water is collected;
• under watering hoses;
• under the porch;
• in the depths of the beds;
• at the roots of plants;
• in places where condensation accumulates.

This method is very effective, but also very labor-intensive, since each early morning Not everyone can devote a lot of time to collecting pests, and not everyone has the desire. That is why there is also an ecological way to get rid of slugs. To do this, you just need, along with sowing or planting seedlings of crops, to place beds with herbs, the aroma of which repels invertebrates. You can use mint, garlic, rosemary and other herbs for these purposes. It is best to place them around the entire perimeter of the beds.

Protecting young shoots

To protect young seedlings of cultivated plants from being eaten by pests, it is necessary to spray their leaves with special solutions from time to time. To do this, table vinegar or ammonia can be diluted with water in a ratio of 1:6. It is very important to treat all surfaces of the seedlings without exception, even the leaves on the back side.

There are other ways to get rid of slugs on seedlings. For this purpose, mixtures for spraying are also prepared, only based on instant coffee or mustard powder. The latter should be taken no more than 6 tablespoons per 10 liters of water. After each rain or watering, the procedures must be repeated.

How to get rid of slugs in a greenhouse? Spraying with caustic compounds in the created microclimate can harm crops, so in greenhouse conditions it is better to use dry soil sprinkles around the plantings. To do this, take the same dry mustard powder, slaked lime or wood ash. Pests avoid such areas because these dry substances damage their bodies. For prevention, it is enough to scatter 30 grams per square meter of beds.

Slug Traps

In the case where pests have already taken a fancy to the garden, it is necessary to act more radically. To do this, you need to place special traps for slugs around the site, which can be purchased ready-made or easily made yourself, because the preferences of mollusks are known to everyone.

The easiest way is to spread large wet plant leaves, pieces of roofing felt, linoleum or boards around the perimeter of the plantings in the evening, and in the morning simply collect slugs from under them. To increase efficiency, it is recommended not to water the garden for several days beforehand. It is important to do this with gloves or special accessories, since their mucus is very difficult to wash off and may contain harmful microorganisms.

The deadliest and most effective trap for invertebrates is corn flour or cereal. With its smell, it attracts slugs to feast on it, after which they all die. To prepare, flour or cereal is poured into a jar and placed on its side near the garden bed. At night, invertebrates gather in it, overeat and die; in the morning all that remains is to collect them and throw them away. This will help rid any crops of pests.

How to get rid of slugs on cucumbers? In addition to the method described above, you can place beer traps around the perimeter of the beds. The smell of fermentation also attracts mollusks, so kvass or beer, preferably dark, is poured into plastic bottles cut to 1 cm or other shallow containers and placed around the garden. Slugs crawl into jars and can’t get out again, so in the morning all that remains is to collect them and throw them away.

You can use kefir in the same way. For these purposes, by the way, there is no need to pour it into containers; it is enough to leave an open empty bottle of fermented milk drink in the garden overnight. The peels of fruits, even exotic ones, also have a unique attractive aroma for shellfish.

Leftovers from:

• watermelons;
• melons;
• pumpkins;
• grapefruits;
• oranges and other citrus fruits.

For this, the peels should be from half of the entire fruit, in the form of a hemisphere with a hole made in the center. This peel is placed on the ground with the outer side up and left overnight. The slugs climb into the hole and cannot get back out along the slippery inner walls, so in the morning they are simply collected and neutralized.

Another effective way is to mulch beds with cultural plantings. This method is especially relevant during the fruiting period of berries such as strawberries and wild strawberries, since the use of chemicals at this time is strictly prohibited. Sprinkle the rows of crops with any sharp and small materials that can damage the body of the mollusk. Salt is ideal for this, since it additionally destroys the mucus of the invertebrate. In addition to it, you can use crushed eggshells, broken shells, small pebbles and even pine needles, the aroma of which will additionally repel pests.

Chemicals

If none of the listed loyal methods worked, and pests continue to attack the plantings, then three weeks before harvest it is allowed to use a chemical mixture. They are made in the form of granules for scattering between rows.

Popular ones are:

• "Meta".
• "Storm".
• "Ferramol".
• "Anti-slug".

Almost always, the dosage per 1 square meter is 3 grams of the substance, but when using this method, one should not forget about the dangers. The fact is that the drugs contain components that repel birds and are not harmful to them, but they can be dangerous to other pets, especially cats. Also, the active substance can accumulate in plant fruits, which is not very good for the person himself. Always after using such drastic methods, the resulting crop should be thoroughly washed under hot water before use.

Favorite delicacy

To do this, young seedlings should be placed at a great distance, at least half a meter, so as not to thicken or shade the bed when the heads of cabbage begin to grow. Additional security for each sprout can be provided with a kind of fence. To make it, you need to cut a ring out of a plastic bottle and perforate it from the top edge with tweezers or small scissors. Sharp, uneven edges will damage the body of the mollusk if it wants to get to the seedlings.

As soon as the head of cabbage begins to grow and the lower leaves fall to the ground, they should be torn off immediately. The spaces between the rows of plantings can be sprinkled with various fine mulches or fragrant wormwood or stinging nettles can be placed around the heads of cabbage daily. To be effective, herbs must always be fresh.

Interestingly, for prevention, cabbage can be watered in the evening with hot water (no more than 50 degrees) over closed leaves. This procedure does not threaten the plant at all, but it will burn the pests well.

An infusion of hot pepper is often used to treat garden crops against slugs. To prepare it, the hot spice powder is infused for two days in a liter of water, after which it is boiled. Past heat treatment the solution is infused for another day, only after that it is used for its intended purpose. It's important to take ready mixture only 100 grams per bucket of water, otherwise you can burn the plants. The finished product is stored in a cool, dark place. To preserve it on the leaves for a long time, you can add a soap solution to the mixture.

Finally

In fact, getting rid of slugs is quite easy, you just need to block their access to favorable habitats. Of course, the most effective means of combating will be to implement preventive measures to prevent their occurrence, especially since currently there are a huge number of specialized stores that sell drugs for eliminating pests.

Let's first look at the portrait of a slug, which is familiar to all gardeners. Here he is, a naked freak, damp, disgusting... If chickens could speak, their words would sound like this: “Here he is, handsome, naked, delicious.” Mother Nature would have uttered the following words with emotion: “How beautiful you are, little cub. How needed you are.”

Number 1 - brown arion, number 2 - striped arion. Striped is a pest.

Arion is brown. While he was “sleeping”, he was a lump, and crawled – 80 millimeters of growth appeared from somewhere. Main place for comfortable life coniferous, deciduous or mixed forests. They are sometimes spotted in old parks or cemeteries. Does not love sunlight, therefore it crawls out to feed in the twilight-dark time of the day. Mushroom pickers see only traces of feasts - cavities on the caps and boletus mushrooms. Only zoologists have observed how a slug feasts on dead roots, leaves or dead small animals. It is found in our Altai Territory, in Eastern Siberia, in the Amur River basin and Primorsky Territory, only the color instead of brown is more of a monochromatic black.

Woe to those gardeners and gardeners who wanted to have not just a plot for growing vegetables and apple trees, but a nice place on the edge of the forest under the canopy of lonely pines for a beautiful summer house with a production bias in the form of growing garden products - the slug damages vegetable gardens and fields located adjacent to the forest. And how not to harm, because everything is laid out in beds there, here are the most delicate lettuce leaves, and here is the most delicious cabbage.

Arion striped. A close relative of brown, it is lighter in color, it is rather ashen with a slight admixture of yellowness or creme brulee. This pest prefers to live in cultivated biotopes - in gardens, fields, parks and of course in vegetable gardens. It’s good that he doesn’t live in all regions, but in the north-west of our country and in its central regions.

Black slug. A very long slug, even a chicken will be afraid to peck at it; its body can stretch up to 20 centimeters in length when moving. It’s good that he feeds on lichens and mushrooms. Range: Karelia, the Baltic states, Belarus, west and center of Russia, and areas located east of Novgorod.

Number 1 - large slug, number 2 - field slug, number 3 - black slug, number 4 - smooth slug.

The slug is big. Less black is a joy, because the body length can be 130 millimeters, but this is 13 centimeters. But it’s still unpleasant when such living creatures settle in a greenhouse, garden or vegetable garden. He also loves vegetable stores, of course, because the whole range tasty food collected in one place, no need to waste energy searching. Range: northwestern and central regions of Russia.

Malacolymax is gentle. Tender for the gardener because it eats mushrooms and lichens.

Malacolymax is gentle.

Field slug. Not big, only 40 millimeters when stretched. This one does not need forests and darkness; it loves ditches, swamps, meadows, and does not shy away from forest edges. The main thing, the most important thing, is that he does not like cultivated land. You can escape from it by constantly digging up the soil in the beds. The soil will lose fertility. What's better? Just to know...

The slug is smooth. Less field slug. Loves swamps, damp meadows, and the banks of overgrown reservoirs. He is not afraid of water, it costs him nothing to feed on a leaf under water. He is not afraid of the cold.

Reticulated slug.

Don't believe everything that is written. For example, that slugs love beer. Maybe they love, but who tested their ability to die from alcohol intoxication? Or ash... What kind of ash, cigarette ash or ash from burning wood? The first is too little, and the second will be needed no less. After all, the entire area will have to be processed, every square centimeter.

Pine and spruce needles will not help. See above, it says that some slugs like coniferous forests, and there are so many of these needles that you wouldn’t find a haystack among them.

Chemical methods of protection against slugs are ineffective. When a toxic substance gets on the mucus, the animal simply shakes off the sticky clothes and immediately puts on new, no less sticky ones.

Gardeners believe that ground red hot pepper is dangerous. But this is a very expensive method.

Can be destroyed chemically. Metaldehyde will help; it is recommended to scatter it at 40 grams per square meter. This is also expensive, considering that the treatment, that is, sprinkling the soil, is not a one-time procedure, but a repeated one, because every rain washes away all traces. At the same time, you have to contaminate the soil with poison, how will the soil inhabitants who create fertility react to this?

You can sprinkle with dolomite flour or slaked lime, which is also not good, but this is the most economically acceptable method, although treatments should be carried out after every rain.

There is a generally accepted opinion that you need to sprinkle the paths and around the beds. Don't believe it! What, harmful Velcro only live under the paths? And they crawl to the surface only above the paths? Therefore, it is recommended to sprinkle a perimeter path around the beds. These animals can hide from the sun and wind in the place where they feel like it!

The beds should be well ventilated, and there should be no grass or other coverings on them during periods that are dangerous for plants. The lower leaves must be removed so that they do not touch the ground and do not serve as walkways. There should not be a lot of plants in the garden; in the jungle thickets it is much more difficult to find a pest, but it is more comfortable for it.

Pollination with soil superphosphate is suggested. This is not an acceptable method for me, I have already switched to natural farming, and I have no use for chemical fertilizers.

Another funny recommendation is to collect slugs in a jar during the day after rain. This can be recommended by someone who has not collected slugs himself. If there can be a million individuals on a hectare of cropland, as in Great Britain, what percentage of this number will be three dozen specimens that accidentally caught your eye. Searching for slugs for subsequent destruction is pointless.

If you are going to sprinkle poison, then you need to do it in such a way as to protect the plant, and not the planting or sowing area - each plant. These scoundrels love to live in the soil layer near plant stems. So you need to loosen the bed, especially deeply, lifting the soil away from the stem. This way all the slugs will be on the surface and can be clearly seen. Take a pruner and cut each one, believe me, slugs do not have the ability to regenerate tissue. Then cover the stem with the same soil with the remains of the pest and sprinkle lime on top. This is the most effective way struggle, caution will not hurt - lime should not get on the plant itself, otherwise burns and...

Reproduction of slugs or why there are no slugs in spring.

They are gentle, soft-bodied creatures, deep into the soil, like earthworms or Colorado potato beetles, they cannot climb. Although the eggs are laid quite far from the soil surface, they are hidden from drying out at a depth of 8 centimeters.

Although they hide under the remains of grass and piles of garbage, they all die in the cold. The eggs remain to overwinter. If the mother-father-slug has found a suitable place for laying, then the little babies will hatch from the eggs, somewhat similar to caviar, in the spring on warm days. They will appear to us as adults in mid-July. This type of reproduction of slugs was invented by nature.

Why wait for the slugs to attack? It can be prevented by destroying baby or teenage slugs in time.

Who eats slugs or nature to help us.

Moreover, laying hens should not be allowed to peck at them, because the hens will sharply reduce the supply of eggs by lunchtime.

Hedgehogs, moles, starlings, jackdaws and rooks eat slugs, but frogs do not refuse them. Here there is material for thought: who is better for the garden, a mole who will eat a slug and destroy all the plants, or a hedgehog who himself is not averse to eating our green vegetables?

Lizards, salamanders and snakes disappear immediately. There are ground beetles, toads and frogs left - they need to be taken as helpers and companions, conditions for reproduction and life must be created.

Tell your gardener friends and gardeners about ways to protect vegetable crops from the pest that eats everything in their summer cottages.

Just the word “slug” makes people disgusted. A nasty, rather disgusting, shapeless, slippery creature immediately appears before your eyes, always crawling somewhere.

Doesn’t nature really have any intelligence that it could give birth to such an animal that no one needs and is not suitable for anything? To find the answer, you should study in more detail what characterizes the large roadside slug, the photo of which is now before your eyes. After reading the description of a slug, a person will have an idea of ​​what appearance of this creature, what kind of life it leads, where its habitats are located.

Large roadside (or leopard) slug: appearance

Representatives of this species are the largest of all types of large slugs. These mollusks were brought to different parts of the world from Europe, which is their homeland. The large roadside slug is a mollusk of the order Pulmonate snails. Its body consists of one leg that merges with the slug's head and is called the sole. The body length of the mollusk reaches from 10 to 20 cm. Sometimes the body of the animal grows up to 30 cm. It is wrinkled, somewhat rounded, and pointed at the end of the rear part.

The body of slugs is symmetrical on both sides. On top it is covered with the so-called mantle in the form of a plate. Below it are the reproductive organs and the anus. There is a keel on the tail.

The color of the slug ranges from light gray to chestnut, sometimes yellowish-white or ashen. The entire body of a large roadside slug is covered with black spots and stripes. This “cute” creature has very long tentacles. Their mucus is colorless.

Internal structure

On the back, under the skin of the mollusk, a shell is visible, which, like all other slugs, is highly reduced. The shell is white in color, shaped like an oblong oval, its length is 13 mm and its width is 7 mm. It is assumed that healing substances are stored there. This shell has been known since ancient times and was used for medicinal purposes.

The leopard slug's digestive system consists of the radula, pharynx, esophagus and intestines. In the intestines, four sections are connected to the liver, while the other two simply hang freely inside the body.

At first glance, this slug resembles a very simple creature, but it has nervous system, which consists of ganglia. Each ganglion has its own place: the pedal ganglion lies under the radula, the abdominal ganglion is slightly to the right of the midline, and the visceral ganglia are located in the middle between the esophagus and the uvular membrane.

Habitats

The habitats of the large roadside slug cover large areas. The habitat is located in humid and temperate zones climate zone. Slugs live only in biotopes with sufficient moisture. For them, a very comfortable habitat is the litter of deciduous forests.

Slugs are indigenous to Australia, New Zealand and North America. They are also found in Western and Central Europe, in the Caucasus, where their favorite places are fields, meadows, forests, gardens and caves.

Large roadside slug: what to feed

These mollusks are herbivores and are not too picky when choosing food. While kept in the terrarium, they should be provided with vegetables, fruits and mushrooms. Separately, we need to dwell on what the large roadside slug feeds on in its natural habitats.

Vegetation is considered the main food of mollusks. The leopard slug feeds on fallen leaves, flowers, fruits and soft stems of living plants. Sometimes mushrooms are present in his diet. Although these slugs eat a lot and are voracious, if necessary, they can live without food for about 60 days, while in a humid place.

Large roadside slug: reproduction

This species, like all slugs, has a hermaphroditic reproductive system. Each individual has genitals that correspond to their sex. Reproductive products become mature at different times. First, the sperm matures. She presents packaged bags - spermatophores. Then it begins in males. This substance is endowed with a smell by which the slug is found by its relatives.

The mating ceremony of large roadside slugs is very in an unusual way. The mollusks hang head down on mucous threads, their bodies are woven into a single ball by their genitals. Since the blue penises of slugs reach great lengths, it is not always possible for mating couples to disentangle themselves. In this case, some individuals resort to extreme measures and bite off the genital organ, which grows back after some time.

After fertilization, the mollusk lays eggs in the ground; on average, one adult can lay from 30 to 70 large eggs. Their development occurs within 21-35 days, after which small slugs are born. They reach sexual maturity after 60 days. These animals live no longer than two years.

Economic importance. Damage caused

For nature, slugs bring some benefit, being orderlies. They are able to process leaves that have fallen from trees, turning them into humus. But most of all, these mollusks, including the large roadside slug, cause quite significant damage to agriculture.

These voracious creatures cause especially great harm to potatoes by eating the tubers and foliage of the plant. Colored and White cabbage, various varieties of lettuce, root vegetables, young vegetable plants, as well as strawberries, tomatoes and cucumbers. Vineyards and entire citrus plantations are affected by this pest.

The large roadside slug causes much less damage to the following crops:

• Red cabbage.
• Parsley roots and leaves.
• Onion and garlic.
• Crops of barley and oats.

Spring wheat, flax and buckwheat almost do not feel the invasion of slugs. In addition to the fact that mollusks voraciously destroy agricultural crops, they are also carriers of fungal and viral diseases. Among these pests is the large roadside slug. The description of these diseases, which include cabbage spot, potato late blight and downy mildew, makes it possible to once again verify the harmfulness of the slug. In this regard, the question arises: how can you get rid of such a nasty enemy?

Methods and methods of dealing with slugs

Before you find out which ones exist effective methods fight against slugs, you need to study and use all available preventive measures in a timely manner. First of all, it is necessary to ensure that the sites have a large number of natural enemies slugs. These include hedgehogs, frogs and toads.

In addition, you need to make a trench around the area and sprinkle it with sand, pine needles, lime and crushed egg shells. The slugs will be forced to avoid such an obstacle. Plants in the beds should be kept weed-free and thinned out on time.

You can fight slugs by collecting them with your hands. To do this, at night, pieces of wet bark or piles of mown grass are laid out between the plants, under which the pest will hide. In the morning, the collection of a pest called the "big roadside neem" begins calmly by hand. People know many ways, one of them is catching shellfish with a can of beer, which in this case serves as bait for slippery uninvited guests.

If the above methods failed to get rid of slugs and it has already begun mass reproduction pests, you will have to use chemicals. Currently, new generation products have appeared that are no danger to surrounding nature don't imagine.

Do you know which animal on the planet ranks first among the toothy ones? This is probably very interesting to every person. Although surprisingly, the toothiest creature that is not a predator is the large roadside slug. There are approximately 30 thousand teeth on his tongue! This grater tongue helps the slug grind all the foods it feeds on and make them

We can conclude that among the toothy individuals there are not only large predators, but also mollusks, which are among the smallest representatives of the animal world.

Content:

If you want to get an unusual pet, try finding a slug on the street and taking it into your home as a pet. Slugs are easy to care for and can be fun pets for both children and adults. In addition, it teaches children responsibility. Slugs can be bred in an aquarium. They eat plants, including fruits and vegetables. Keep in mind that slugs are very sensitive to various chemicals, so you should keep them away from products such as hairspray and even tap water. Slugs can live from one to five years.

Steps

1 Set up a habitat for your pet

1. 1 Find a suitable container. Slugs usually live well in regular aquariums. The aquarium should be approximately 20 by 20 centimeters (no less). You can buy it at a pet store or order it online.
   • Be sure to provide ventilation for the aquarium in advance. The lid must have holes for ventilation. For example, something like a fine mesh would work great.
   • Slugs are very small, especially compared to reptiles, which are also usually kept in aquariums. Carefully inspect the vents to make sure that the slug will not escape through them.
2. 2 Add filler to the aquarium. The best filler is regular soil, grass, leaves, and the like. If you find a slug on the street, it is best to take soil, leaves and grass from the exact area where you found the animal. Be sure to sift the soil before adding it to the aquarium so that no objects dangerous to the slug get there along with the soil.
   • Once a week, remove the slug from the aquarium, transfer it to another container (also with holes!) Remove the old filler and replace it with new one.
3. 3 Buy various items for aquarium. Slugs will really enjoy items such as various artificial plants and leaves. In addition, do not forget to bring real leaves, twigs and other objects from the street that a slug can climb on.
   • If you bring something from outside, be sure to carefully inspect the item before placing it in the aquarium.
4. 4 Clean your aquarium regularly. Place it in the aquarium once every three months general cleaning: Wash all the walls and bottom of the aquarium and replace the filler. Rinse twigs and other items in the aquarium with water, then allow them to air dry. If the sprigs immediately become soggy and soft due to water, replace them with new sprigs.
   • Slugs are very sensitive to chemicals. Therefore, do not wash your aquarium with soap! Wash the aquarium and items in it only with warm water.
   • Slugs are very sensitive to regular tap water, so you should choose distilled water for them.

2 What to feed a slug

1. 1 Wash vegetables and fruits. Slugs love plants. For example, you can give the slug leftover fruits and vegetables from your table. You can give it to him fresh fruits and vegetables, but first they need to be washed in distilled water. Before you feed the slug, it is important to remove traces of pesticides from the fruit.
   • If possible, choose fresh fruits that are grown without the use of pesticides.
   • In fact, slugs like vegetables more than fruits. They might die from too much large quantity sugar, even if it is natural sugar from fruit.
2. 2 Include leaves and plants in your slugs' diet. Place plants that you find outside in the slug's aquarium. Additionally, slugs feed on decaying plants, so if you have a dying plant in your home, you can feed it to the slug.
3. 3 Clean up leftover food every day. Slugs may not eat all the food you bring them. Leftover food (especially fruit) attracts fruit flies. Fruit flies can harm your slug, so you should clean up and discard any leftover food from your slug's tank every evening. This way, you will reduce the risk that your pet's safety will be compromised.
4. 4 Do not use dishes, but a spray bottle. Slugs do not require a separate bowl of water, they just need a moist environment. Therefore, spray water into the aquarium every day from a spray bottle. It's best to use filtered or distilled water because regular tap water can be dangerous to slugs. Humidity is very important because slugs absorb moisture from the air.

3 How to avoid common mistakes

1. 1 Never use any sprays near a tank containing a slug. As mentioned above, slugs are very sensitive to chemicals because they absorb everything in the air through their skin. Therefore, never use hairsprays or other aerosols in the same room as the slug aquarium. This could kill your pet!
2. 2 Do not pick up the slug. The slug should not be constantly removed from the aquarium. Only move him to another tank or container if you need to clean his tank. Slugs don't like to be handled, and chemicals on your hands (like leftover soap or hand lotion) are harmful to slugs.
3. 3 Don't forget to spray the water in the aquarium every day! Slugs require a moist environment to live. Spray some distilled water into your slug's tank every day. The slug may die if environment will not be moist enough.
   • It is very important to use distilled water. Chemicals found in tap water can kill slugs.

• Slugs love shady areas, so do not place the aquarium with a slug under direct sun rays. Be sure to put something in the aquarium that will provide the slug with shelter (for example, a piece of bark)
• You can put vegetable and fruit trimmings into the aquarium, but only if you are sure that they do not contain pesticides!

Warnings

• Always wash your hands thoroughly before handling a slug. You may have leftovers on your hands. chemical substances, like regular salt, which can harm the slug.
• Slugs can crawl along the walls of the aquarium, so do not forget to put a lid on the aquarium and make sure that the ventilation holes in the lid are not too large so that the slug does not crawl out of the aquarium through them.

What you will need

• Aquarium
• Vegetables and fruits
• Spray bottle
• Distilled or filtered water
• The soil