20150523 Gardening tips – snail/slug management

1.        Eliminate/reduce their hiding places like boards, stones, debris, weedy areas.
2.        Avoid leafy branches growing close to the ground,
3.        Reduce humid and most soil surface by switching from sprinkler irrigation to drip irrigation,
4.        Trapping
4.1        Set up trap by putting around 1ft x 1ft wooden board allowing 1” above ground.  Patrol regularly and kill snails and slugs hiding underneath.
4.2        Beer-baited trap can be used by not that effective.
5.        Handpicking – you know how,
6.        Barrier – use copper tape to surround the planter box.  It is costly and difficult in large area,
7.        Introduce natural predators – e.g. birds, chicken, goose or toads.  I prefer keeping 1 or 2 toads in my field to increase the bio-diversification.
8.        Last by not the least, snail bait – Baits that contain iron phosphate.  I think this is the last resort for organic farmer.