Don't Let Slugs Knock Out Your Crops

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This spring's slow-growing crops may have problems in fields with a history of slug feeding, says an Ohio State entomologist.

Ron Hammond says farmers should scout for slugs through mid-June when plants should have developed enough to withstand further damage. Farmers also should scout fields coming out of the Conservation Reserve Program.

Hammond is studying slug behavior. While conclusive results are yet to come, he has advice on what to do about slugs now:

* Estimate fields' slug populations with pitfall traps. Fill a saucer halfway with beer and place it so the rim is level with the soil surface. Place a cover, such as a board or roofing shingle on top. After 24 hours check the inside for slugs. Just one or two slugs does not mean you have a problem.

* To determine the extent of a slug problem, use a flashlight to check for feeding on foliage in the dark, shortly after dusk.

* Effective treatments: Prozap Snail and Slug AG bait; Deadline M-Ps (mini pellets). The latter is reformulated with increased rain resistance.