Slug types. Slugs

Slugs are gastropods without a shell.. The body has a roll-like shape and is conditionally divided into the head, trunk and leg. Leg - the lower, muscular part of the body, has the shape of a flat sole. There are two pairs of tentacles on the head, more long tentacles eyes are located. The body is covered with soft mucous skin, mucus is produced skin glands and serves to protect against drying and exposure to various foreign substances, including chemicals.

In snails, the integuments of the body develop a spirally twisted shell.. At the top, the shell is blindly closed, at the other end there is a hole - the mouth. The diameter of the whorl of the shell increases with the growth of the animal from the top to the mouth. In case of danger, the animal completely retracts its body into the shell.

Structure and general information

The mouth organs of slugs and snails of the gnawing type are represented by a horny jaw in the form of a bracket with a tongue covered with teeth - a “grater”. The tongue is a muscular roller, covered with a thin cuticle and bearing hard teeth arranged in transverse rows.

Hermaphroditic animals, fertilization is internal, cross. They lay up to 400 eggs in bunches in various natural shelters - under lumps of soil, at the base of plants, especially in places where weeds grow, under a film, boards. The presence of weeds and debris on the site creates favorable conditions for their reproduction. The development is direct. Young slugs and snails look like adults but are smaller. Animals are moisture-loving and breed in large numbers with excess moisture, so they are numerous in rainy summers. In hot, dry weather, adults burrow deep into the soil, and juveniles and eggs die. Crepuscular animals, feed late in the evening or at night; during the day they are under lumps of soil and various shelters, but in cloudy weather they can be found on plants during the day. The eggs overwinter mainly under lumps of soil. In the spring, young individuals are born, which in 2–3 months reach puberty.

Types of slugs and snails

Slugs and snails are divided into three families. The largest representatives of slugs belong to the family Limacides, the length of the body in the extended state is 40–200 mm. This family includes the fawn or plowed slug, reticulated slug, agile slug, large slug.

In slugs of the family arionides the length of the body in the straightened state is 20–70 mm. These include the following representatives: bordered slug, brown slug, garden slug.

Family helicides or snails. The body of animals in the straightened state has a length of 60–80 mm, it is closed from above by a spirally twisted shell. In different species, the shape and color of the shell is different. Before wintering, the outer opening of the shell (mouth) is closed with a lid, consisting of two layers. The outer layer is calcareous, the inner one is made of hardened mucus. The sink can also close when hot, dry weather sets in. The following representatives belong to this family: grape snail, garden snail.

What do they eat

Snails and slugs are polyphagous pests that damage all vegetable crops, but prefer cabbage, cucumber, lettuce, pepper, eggplant, radish, parsley. They eat seeds and seedlings, a growing point in young plants, grape leaves, dugout berries, root crops in carrots, while eating holes in the succulent tissues of plants irregular shape. Can damage various parts ornamental plants, eat flowers in various plant species, bulbs in gladiolus. Harmfulness increases sharply in rainy or cloudy weather. They are found in closed ground, where they penetrate with poor insulation of premises or as a result of drifting with containers or with a substrate. There also damage different kinds cultivated plants.

How to detect

Slugs and snails are found as follows. On the leaves, in the process of feeding and moving, they leave characteristic traces of dried silvery mucus, by which it is easy to distinguish the damage caused by them from the damage caused by caterpillars or beetles.

Control measures

The main measure for the destruction of slugs and snails is weed control and cleaning the site from boards, boxes, old film and debris. These are the main places of accumulation and reproduction of slugs.

In small areas, catching slugs is practiced under shelters that are placed on the soil surface. Large leaves of plants, boards, opaque film, slate, etc. can serve as shelters. It is desirable to moisten the soil under the shelters. Once a day, shelters must be raised and slugs collected from there, followed by their destruction.

In greenhouses and on individual sections of the track, you can sprinkle with iron sulfate (10 g / mg), superphosphate (5-8 g / mg), tobacco dust. With a high number of slugs, you can pollinate the soil under the plants with superphosphate (30–40 g / mg), slaked lime (30 g / mg), a mixture of lime and tobacco (20–25 g / mg), sprinkle with a solution of potassium salt - 1 kg per 10 l of water, the consumption rate is 1 liter per 1 mg. This should be done late in the evening, when the slugs crawl out of their shelters.

Of the chemicals, there is Groza G (60 g/kg). The granules of the drug are sown on the surface of the soil between rows and paths at a rate of 30 g per 10 mg.

Slugs are willingly eaten by gray toads, which often settle in garden plots. They are sometimes mistaken for pests.

Probably, everyone has ever paid attention to the bushes, sometimes up to 1.5 meters in height with bright, blue flowers, something similar to cornflowers. And this bush grows literally everywhere. But not everyone knows that this is the very chicory from which a tasty and healthy drink is prepared. This article will discuss useful and medicinal properties chicory, about harvesting and how to use it. And, of course, about how you can make a drink “almost like coffee” from it.

Despite the fact that the melon is a "purebred southerner", summer residents grow it not only in the south. And all because this culture is exceptionally tasty and very healthy. Yes, and varieties "for the market" are not always distinguished by high palatability, not like the fruits from your garden or greenhouse. True, the melon has its own "secrets", but they are not particularly difficult. Therefore, if you have not yet grown a melon on your hundred square meters, you must definitely try it, at least once!

While indoor cypresses compete for the title of "most indoor" coniferous, flower growers turned their attention to a more compact, hardy and diverse cypress. A winter-hardy plant even for a garden moves into rooms no less willingly than “dream plants” that are not subject to us - cypresses. And they adapt to the conditions inside the interior much easier. It is impossible to call cypress plants easy to grow - these are species for experienced flower growers.

Salad "Red Sea" with squid, crab sticks and red caviar - a light and healthy snack that is suitable for a pescatarian menu, it can also be cooked in fast days when fish and seafood are allowed on the menu. The salad is simply extremely tasty and it is prepared easily. Buy frozen squids. I do not advise cooking a dish with fillet giant squid, although it looks appetizing and tempting, it has a sharp ammonia flavor, which is difficult to get rid of.

Columnar trees differ from ordinary fruit trees in their compact crown, small height, and lack of lateral branching. With a slight habitus, these miracle trees are distinguished by their ability to form large crops of large, tasty and beautiful fruits. On 1-2 acres, you can place up to 20-25 columnar trees - varieties of apple trees, pears, plums, peaches, cherries, apricots and other crops of different maturity. Our article will tell about the features of creating a columnar garden.

August can be a little sad - autumn, followed by a long winter, is already on the threshold. But the flower beds are still full of multicolor, and their colors create an atmosphere of warmth and joy. The rich palette of August flower beds mainly consists of yellows, oranges, and crimson tones. And it seems as if the garden has become warmer and the color of the sun has increased. What flowers should definitely be planted in flower beds so that they brighten up the inevitable departure of summer with flowering?

Peach jam with bananas is fragrant, thick, healthy and, most importantly, it has half as much sugar as ordinary jam. This is a quick jam with pectin, and pectin powder is known to reduce the sugar content in jam, or even make it without sugar. Sugar-free jams are fashionable sweets nowadays, they are very popular among supporters healthy lifestyle life. Peaches for harvesting can be of any degree of maturity, bananas too.

Coriander is one of the most popular spices in the world, and its greens are called cilantro or cilantro. Interestingly, cilantro leaves no one indifferent. Some people adore it and are happy to use it in any salads and sandwiches, and they love Borodino bread for the special flavor of coriander seeds. Others, referring to the smell that evokes associations with forest bugs, hate coriander and flatly refuse to approach bunches of cilantro even in the market, let alone plant it in their garden.

Saintpaulias are making a comeback and redefining the cute blooming violets that love to live on any windowsill. Trends in the "market" for uzambara violets indicate a rapid increase in interest in plants with unusual leaves. More and more admiring glances are attracted not by unusual colors of flowers, but by exotic variegated colors of leaves. Variegated saintpaulias are almost no different in cultivation from all the others.

Sweet and sour pickled cherry tomatoes with red onion and basil marinated with balsamic vinegar and mustard. Such pickled vegetables will decorate any festive table They are very tasty and fragrant. Marinade filling is a completely different story: it turns out a delicious brine, the only drawback of which is not a large number of. Onions choose sweet, red. Cherry - strong, slightly unripe, the smallest. Fresh basil is suitable for both green and purple.

My first acquaintance with hydrogel took place a very long time ago. Back in the nineties, my husband brought funny multi-colored balls from Japan, which greatly increased in size if they were filled with water. They were supposed to put bouquets or use them for some other decorative purposes. Of course, at first it was funny, but then I played enough and abandoned them, I don’t even remember where they went. But I recently returned to the use of hydrogel. I will share my experience in this article.

Watermelon and summer are inseparable concepts. However, not in every area you will find melons. And all because this African plant takes up a lot of space, is quite demanding on both heat and the sun, and also on competent watering. But still, watermelon is so loved that today not only southerners have learned to grow it, but much more northern summer residents. It turns out that you can find an approach to such a capricious plant, and if you want, you can get a decent harvest.

You can cook red gooseberry jam in 10 minutes. However, it should be borne in mind that this is the time required for cooking jam without preparing berries. It takes a lot of time to harvest and prepare berries for processing. Cruel thorns discourage any desire to harvest, but you still have to cut off your noses and tails. But the result is worth it, the jam turns out to be excellent, one of the most fragrant, in my opinion, and the taste is such that it is impossible to tear yourself away from the jar.

Monsters, anthuriums, caladiums, dieffenbachia ... Representatives of the Aroid family are considered one of the most popular categories indoor plants. And not the last factor of their wide distribution is diversity. Aroid presented aquatic plants, epiphytes, semi-epiphytes, tuberous and lianas. But despite such a diversity, because of which it is sometimes difficult to guess the relationship of plants, aroids are very similar to each other and require the same care.

Salad "Donskoy" for the winter - a savory snack from fresh vegetables in sweet and sour marinade olive oil and balsamic vinegar. In the original recipe, the vinegar is plain or apple, but with a combination of wine vinegar and light Balsamico, it turns out much tastier. Salad can be prepared without sterilization - bring the vegetables to a boil, put them in sterile jars and wrap them warmly. You can also pasteurize blanks at a temperature of 85 degrees, then cool quickly.

The main collected mushrooms: porcini, boletus, boletus, chanterelles, boletus, mossiness mushrooms, russula, milk mushrooms, volnushki, saffron mushrooms, honey mushrooms. Other mushrooms are collected depending on the region. And their name (other mushrooms) is legion. As well as mushroom pickers, which are becoming more and more every year. Therefore, for all famous mushrooms may not be enough. And I know for sure that among the little-known come across very worthy representatives. About little-known, but tasty and useful mushrooms I will tell you in this article.

Shapeless and slippery slugs cause a feeling of disgust in people. Most of all, the owners of gardens and orchards do not like gastropods. It is not easy to rid the site of them, but you can reduce their number. To do this, it is important to understand the causes of the appearance of these pests and choose an acceptable option for dealing with them.

Description of slugs

Slugs is a generalized name for several species of gastropods. Outwardly, their body is symmetrical on the right and left sides.

Slugs are hermaphrodites by nature, because each individual specimen has two sets of genital organs: male and female. During mating, which lasts 12 hours, it happens that the male genital organs are twisted, which is why the gastropods are not able to disengage. In such cases, the molluscs go to extremes - they bite off the genitals for themselves or their partner. After such measures, the slugs are left to breed exclusively by the female part of the reproductive system.

The body of land slugs changes shape due to muscle contractions.

The territories of slugs settlement are extensive: Australia and New Zealand, North America, Central and Western Europe, heavily humidified foothill regions of the Caucasus. The largest number of pests in Russia is observed in the Leningrad, Pskov, Novgorod, Kalinin and Yaroslavl regions. Land gastropods love moisture and live in forests, fields, caves and gardens. Their life expectancy is up to two years. They are poorly protected and often become food for predators - big birds, hedgehogs, coyotes. They are omnivorous and gnaw on leaves, lichens, mushrooms, carrion, but more often they feast on living vegetation.

Some moderately large mollusks are an ingredient in exotic dishes, before cooking which slugs are left without food for 2-3 days or fed with pleasantly smelling plants.

On personal plots there are field varieties. The most harmful of them are reticulated, small field, arable and bordered. Also, the owners of the land are plagued by gray-black, Pacific banana, red, large leopard, red-triangular, red roadside and forest slugs.

Photo gallery: types of slugs

The reticulated slug is the most harmful The spindle-shaped body of a small field slug is narrowed at the ends The arable slug can destroy plants for absolutely short period
The Banded Slug has a relatively moderate appetite. The gray-black slug is listed in the Red Books of several regions of Russia Banana slug changes color depending on the composition of the diet
The red slug has a smooth mantle that occupies a third of the body The large leopard slug got its name from its characteristic coloration. The red triangular slug is distinguished by a distinct purple mantle in the shape of a triangle.
Red triangle slug eats mold on bathroom walls The red triangular slug has a bright color
The red roadside slug was accidentally introduced into Russia
Forest slug feeds on half-decayed plants, any mushrooms, carrion

Why slugs appear on the site or in the house and what harm they do

Mollusks live in vivo and eat leaves, excrement, mushrooms. They balance the ecological balance of animal communities in the forest and in the field. Sometimes they crawl onto plants that they put in the house, for example, decorative flowers. Also stalk-eyed are brought to the area with newly acquired infected vegetation.

Slugs reproduce rapidly, laying four hundred eggs in one season. New mollusks appear at the end of spring from masonry in cracks, crevices and other favorable places.

An increase in the number of pests becomes massive in a suitable environment. Ideal conditions for them:

• warm damp spring and autumn;
• slushy and moderately warm summer;
• not too cold winter.

In greenhouses, slugs breed especially quickly - wet and warm. climatic conditions, without access to the scorching sun, have a beneficial effect on this process.

In the garden and in the garden, pests gnaw on the crop and spoil the appearance of ornamental vegetation. The nature of the damage is different and depends on the culture and the period of its formation:

• in sprouted crops, seedlings and seedlings of vegetables, they eat the stems;
• in cabbage, beets, clover - they gnaw out uneven round holes in the foliage;
• leaves of cereal crops are eaten completely or eaten around the edge.

In greenhouses, greenhouses and greenhouses, they destroy tender seedling sprouts, and in storage they eat potatoes. Apartments, houses and country houses are part of the gastropod settlement territory. The most common objects of sabotage:

• ground floor apartments;
• houses with high humidity;
• buildings with cellars;
• bathrooms - the constant use of water leads to the dampness they love so much.

In the bathroom, toilet, in the kitchen, you can also find a pest. This happens to residents of the private sector, as well as to people living on the ground floor of an apartment building, or in an apartment with high humidity. In summer, slugs enter people's homes in the hope of finding coolness and moisture, and in winter they crawl into warmth. They themselves will not crawl out of the premises, because they take root remarkably well and breed in suitable home conditions. If these neighbors are found on the land, it is not necessary to immediately apply chemistry, because summer residents have a large number of organic methods in stock to reduce the number of pests.

Table: what different types of slugs look like and what harm they do

Photo gallery: slugs eat crops

In the berries of strawberries and strawberries, gastropods gnaw out cavities The slug gnaws through a tomato and eats out almost all the pulp of the vegetable. gastropod happy to eat pepper
Red slugs eat rounded holes in cabbage leaves

Slugs appear on the site in the spring and spoil the life of the owners of the land until the onset of autumn. It is better to fight them from May to July.

The mucus covers the sole of the mollusk so well that it practically does not touch the ground with its foot.

To destroy the pest, many methods have been developed that can be divided into three large groups:

• mechanical impact;
• the use of pesticides;
• the use of folk remedies.

Mechanical impact

These are the safest ways for humans and plants to destroy the pest.

Setting traps

During the day, slugs hide from the sun under planks, large leaves, and in compost pits. In such places, traps are set, and then the mollusks are collected and destroyed. There are several options:

Video: yeast trap for slugs

Insurmountable obstacles

Create all sorts of barriers for clams:

natural enemies

The most gentle method of dealing with slugs is to create an environmentally friendly and chemical-free corner with all conditions for living on the site. natural enemies: birds, hedgehogs, moles, frogs. Such helpers are rarely found in gardens and orchards, because there is no acceptable habitat and food for them. But there are some things you can do here:

1. For birds, create hedges from shrubs, hang birdhouses and periodically pour grain into them.
2. For snakes to build a dwelling from foliage, it is even better to create on the site small pond with a fence in the form of tall and dense grass.
3. For hedgehogs next to the pond, create a hut from boards, branches or twigs and fill it with straw. You can feed hedgehogs with dry canned dog or cat food, nuts, fruits or meat.

Photo Gallery: Biological Controls

Chemicals

Their use is the last measure to control slugs. Universal insecticides will not work for this. What is needed are those that are designed to destroy precisely these pests. They differ in their spectrum of action, release form, hazard class and many other parameters.

Table: comparative characteristics of slug control chemicals

Photo Gallery: Slug Control Chemicals

The predator is used to protect vegetables, flowers, berries and grapes from slugs. Extraflor protects plants from slugs for up to 20 days. For watering vegetation and the ground under it, use:

• delphinium infusion - cut 1 kg of dried leaves, pour in 10 liters of warm water and let stand for 2 days;
• mustard - 100 g of powder per 10 liters of water, leave for 60 minutes;
• hot pepper - 1 kg of fresh or 0.5 kg of dried product, pour 10 liters of water, leave for three days, boil and leave for another 2 days;
• coffee - 2 tsp dilute in 1 tbsp. water;
• aqueous solution of ammonia - 4 tbsp. l. for 10 liters.

There are also other effective ways to deal with slugs:

Video: how to protect landings from a slug

How to get rid of slugs in a house or apartment

If you see one individual, throw it away. If meetings with gastropods occur periodically, then:

1. Determine the places where they crawl out.
2. Sprinkle them with salt or mustard, pour vinegar. Chemicals must not be used indoors.

Video: plant expert on slug control

Methods for preventing the appearance of slugs on the site and in the apartment

The best protection of the land is competent gardening. The following measures help strengthen plants to increase resistance to pest and disease attacks:

• use of methods and means to increase soil fertility;
• improving the quality of the land structure;
• the correct selection of plants, their thoughtful combination, the rotation of vegetable crops;
• garden work and sanitary and hygienic measures carried out on time;
• attraction of birds and other useful fauna for natural pest control.

To prevent slugs from appearing in the garden or in the garden, do the following:

1. Make conditions unbearable for pests - deprive them of their homes by removing stones, weeds, grass from the site.
2. Dry the wettest areas of the earth.
3. When planting cultivated plants, keep your distance.
4. Periodically cut off the lower leaves, thin out the plantings.
5. Dig up the soil: clams love to live in cracks.

To prevent slugs from appearing in an apartment or house:

• observe hygiene in the wettest rooms - bathroom, toilet and kitchen;
• try to keep these rooms as dry as possible;
• find all the cracks and holes in the floor and walls, close them up.

Slugs are quite dangerous pests that can spoil a large number of vegetables, fruits and berries. These mollusks are nocturnal, and during the day they hide in dark and cool places. They are quite difficult to detect sunshine: you will learn about their appearance on the site by the characteristic mucus that slugs leave on the ground, leaves and plants.

Video about slugs. How slugs reproduce. Description. Food. Reproduction:

Slug species

In nature, there are a large number of varieties of slugs, many of which harm agricultural, fruit and berry crops. Let us dwell on the most common varieties of these gastropods.

Garden (garden)

Garden slugs are also called garden clams. Their entire body is always covered with mucus, which serves as a protection against drying out. The body of the slug is elongated. It can be reduced due to the work of the muscles.

The coloring of garden mollusks is of three types:

• Dirty gray;
• yellowish;
• Light brown.

REFERENCE: This type of mollusk prefers cloudy and rainy weather, and is most active at night.

On the tongue of the slug there are rows of hard small cloves - a grater. On the front of the body there are tentacles about 30 mm long, on which the visual organs of the slug are located.

The increased fecundity of slugs is observed in places with high humidity. One adult can lay 300-400 eggs at a time. In winter, the eggs are in the ground, young slugs emerge from them in the spring.

Garden slugs feed on various vegetables and fruits. Give preference to such plants:

• Strawberry,
• Tomatoes;
• cabbage;
• Strawberries.

In vegetables and fruits, slugs leave holes, as a result of which the crop rots and deteriorates. The mollusk is also very harmful to plants, eating their leaves and young shoots.

How to get rid of slugs:

Naked

The most frequent visitor to gardens and orchards is the naked slug. This species feeds on all plants and fruits. The mollusk is found in almost all European countries.

The diet of a naked slug includes more than 160 types of vegetables, fruits and berries.

The body of the mollusk is about 7 cm long. The body is inconspicuous in color - gray, brown or off-white in color with a yellowish tint.

The presence of a slug is easy to spot by the streaks of mucus it leaves as it moves.

Big European

The slug of this species is a dangerous pest that destroys various crops. A large European slug reaches a length of 15 cm. The color of the body of a mollusk is:

• Gray;
• Brown;
• Light brown.

Throughout the body of the slug there are dots, stripes of white or black.

The large European slug does not like to change its habitat and rarely moves to various places site.

REFERENCE: The slug settles in greenhouses or wet lowlands, cellars.

Large roadside or leopard

The leopard slug is one of the largest mollusks: its body length can be about 20 cm. The body of a large roadside slug has a rounded shape. The back of the body is slightly pointed.

The color of the mollusk is varied: light gray, brown, yellowish and ashy. Black spots and stripes are scattered over the body of the slug.

The homeland of the large roadside slug is Europe. The largest number individuals can be found in the Northwestern and Central parts of Europe.

big spotted

The spotted slug is one of major representatives of its kind. An adult can reach a length of 13 cm. hallmark slug are small dots that cover its mantle. A black stripe also runs across the entire surface of the mantle. The body of the mollusk is oval, rounded at the ends.

The large spotted slug lives in Asia, as well as in southern Europe. The slug loves heat very much, so in cold areas it settles in greenhouses.

The mollusk feeds on a variety of vegetables, but gives special preference to mushrooms.

big black

The mollusk is the largest representative of the slug species in the world. In length, an adult reaches 30 cm. The mantle of a black slug is wide, covered with small light spots.

The mollusk lives in Western and Central Europe. He loves warmth, so northern regions lives only in greenhouses.

The black slug feeds mainly on mushrooms, but it can also eat vegetables. Due large sizes The pest is very voracious, therefore it causes great damage to the garden. The female lays up to 100 eggs at a time.

Ginger

The size of the red slug varies between 10-18 cm. The color of the body of the slug is very bright and varied. She happens:

• bright orange;
• brick;
• yellow;
• Brown-green.

The mollusk lives in North America, as well as in Central, Eastern and Western Europe. It settles next to a person - in gardens, kitchen gardens, greenhouses.

red roadside

The red roadside slug lives in warm countries Europe. Another name for the mollusk is the Spanish or Louisiana slug. His homeland is Spain and Portugal.

The size of an adult is 9-11 cm, but can reach 20 cm.

The color of the slug is monophonic, it can be red, yellow or orange. The body has long black antennae.

The red slug is omnivorous - it eats vegetables, fruits, berries and mushrooms. The roadside mollusk is very prolific, in one clutch there are up to 400 eggs. Mollusks are hermaphrodites, so even one slug that accidentally appeared on the site can bring out an entire colony.

IMPORTANT: In many countries, the red slug is listed in the Red Book.

The roadside slug lays eggs in spring and autumn. Young animals appear after 14 days, and after two months they turn into adults.

Cabbage

Cabbage slug causes great harm to cabbage seedlings. In length, the mollusk reaches 3-4 cm. The slug settles in cabbage heads and gnaws many passages in them.

The body is brown-brown. There are small spots on the mantle. The head and horns of the mollusk are darker in color.

The slug lives throughout Europe. It feeds mainly on cabbage, but can eat other vegetables and mushrooms.

Field

The length of the field slug grows from 3 to 4 cm. The color of the body varies from light brown to light gray. The body is wide in the middle and narrowed towards the ends.

The field slug lives in wet lowlands, meadows and forest edges. It feeds on plant shoots, leaves and wild berries. Very often, the mollusk moves to gardens and kitchen gardens, where it begins to eat vegetables and berries.

Smooth

A smooth slug reaches a length of 2.5 cm. The body can be black, brown or reddish. The body is in the form of a cylinder, slightly narrowed at the ends.

The mollusk loves moisture, therefore it lives near rivers, lakes, swamps and various reservoirs, as well as in wet meadows. In nature, it feeds on berries, mushrooms and rotten plants.

Forest

An adult can reach a length of 18 cm. The forest slug feeds on berries, plants and mushrooms. The mollusk reaches sexual maturity at a length of 3 cm.

The color of the forest slug is varied: it can vary from white to black. Juveniles are brown. With age, their color changes.

The forest slug lives in many European countries, on the Pacific coast and the British Isles.

In some countries, this mollusk is listed in the Red Book.

Banana

The banana mollusk is very large - it reaches 25 cm in length. The color of the slug is varied - bright yellow, white or green. There may be dark spots on the back of the mollusk. On the upper horns of the slug are the eyes, and the lower ones are responsible for the sense of smell. The homeland of the mollusk is North America, but it can also be found on the Pacific coast.

The banana slug feeds on mushrooms, rotted grass and lichens. It can also eat the feces of various animals.

In the laying of the mollusk is up to 75 eggs.

AT winter time When the weather is hot and dry, the banana slug hibernates: it finds a damp, dark place and takes shelter there. To protect against drying out, the mollusk protects the mucus, which is abundantly secreted during hibernation.

red triangular

This species of slug is native to Eastern Australia. A distinct purple or red triangle is located on the mantle of the red-triangular slug. The color of the body of the mollusk is varied. She may be:

• Light pink;
• Milky white;
• Cream;
• Olive;
• Red.

Adult slugs are up to 15 cm long.

Mollusks live in moist forests and shady gardens. AT natural environment habitat, the red-triangular slug feeds on lichens growing on eucalyptus trees.

orange or brown

A medium-sized slug grows up to 8 cm. The body is colored brown, dark red or orange and covered with wrinkles. The mollusk is not afraid of the cold, therefore it lives in all European countries and in Russia, including Siberia.

The brown slug lives in forest areas, can live in deciduous and coniferous forests. It feeds on fallen leaves, rotten plants, roots, carrion and mushrooms.

If the site is located next to the forest, the slug can move to the garden and harm cabbages, lettuces, tomatoes and potatoes.

Reticulate

A small slug grows no more than 2-3 cm. It is distinguished by its original color - a pattern of dark stripes in the form of a grid is located on the beige color. The mollusk lives in Eastern Europe, it can be found in Russia.

The slug lives in meadows, fields, orchards. The reticulated slug is the most dangerous pest because it feeds on almost all vegetables and berries. Cabbage brings the greatest harm, as it leads heads of cabbage to an unusable state.

Slugs are not only dangerous pests for the garden and vegetable garden. Some exotic shellfish thanks to the original appearance are even pets.

There are many types of terrestrial mollusks in nature. Some of them live everywhere - in forests, in damp meadows, near swamps, feeding on mushrooms and half-decayed vegetation. Others hide in hiding places and hunt for earthworms. And the third - practically all year round live in garden plots, where there is always food and shelter for them: from spring to autumn - in the garden and vegetable garden, in winter - in the cellar or vegetable store.

From all misfortunes. How to deal with slugs

There are many types of terrestrial mollusks in nature. Some of them live everywhere - in forests, in damp meadows, near swamps, feeding on mushrooms and half-decayed vegetation. Others (called "cave robbers"), found mainly in the Caucasus, hide in shelters and hunt for earthworms. And still others - almost all year round live in garden plots, where there is always food and shelter for them: from spring to autumn - in the garden and vegetable garden, in winter - in the cellar or vegetable store. And these slugs "encroach" on the fruits of our labor: vegetables, root crops, berries and flowers. And therefore, it is important for gardeners and gardeners to know how to deal with them..

Among terrestrial mollusks, snails and naked slugs are distinguished. In our country, among shell mollusks, perhaps only large grape snail (Helix pomatia) or small grape snail (Helix vulgaris). In the southern regions, drought-resistant snails of the genus Theba living mainly on garden trees. With a sharp increase in numbers, these snails can cause serious damage to gardens. However, they are quite easy to deal with, either by picking by hand or by using simple traps such as sweet compote.

The main enemies of our gardeners - naked slugs. They slowly, as if taking care of the plant, cover it with moisturizing mucus, rip off soft succulent tissues, reducing the yield and deteriorating its quality.

The most numerous, widespread, voracious and mobile species - reticulated slug (Deroceras reticulatum). His body is brown with a mesh pattern (white and dark spots), 2.5-3 cm long. It severely damages vegetables and root crops, cabbage has not only leaves, but even heads of cabbage inside.

Looks a lot like him field slug (Deroceras agreste). Only the body of this slug is lighter (creamy) and without a pattern. He prefers meadows, swampy places, ditches to beds. They rarely crawl into the garden - if the site is in a lowland and weeds are raging on it.

Small in size (2.5 cm), dark in color (brown or black), cold-resistant and the most moisture-loving species - smooth slug (Deroceras laeve), it lives mainly in middle lane and northern regions. It feeds mainly on winter crops. Harm in the garden from this slug is small.

Unlike him gourd slug (Parmacella iberia), which lives in the south of the country, damages watermelons, pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, as well as tomatoes, cabbage. It is very prolific, especially in wet years, and endures drought and heat, leaving the soil, and, as it were, falling asleep during the “bad weather”.

Large individuals can be found in cellars and basements. yellow slug (Limax flavus) up to 10 cm long. It feeds on vegetables, potatoes, root crops, bulbs of garlic and onions, and flowers. There you can also find great European slug (Limax maximus). This large (up to 15 cm long!), sedentary household pest is very attached to the "place of residence", does not like change and can settle in your cellar for a long time if it is not cool enough. Big European slug also found in greenhouses, especially in winter.

Slugs can be called "night robbers" because they prefer to operate discreetly, at night. From their shelters they go out to "robbery" at 21 o'clock and hide after 2 o'clock in the morning. Therefore, noticing holes in the leaves, pits in the fruits, gardeners often think that the caterpillars have “worked”. Since slugs scrape their food with the help of several thousand teeth in their grater tongue, the damage they left is easy to recognize. For example, in the fruits of tomato and cucumber, cabbage forks, root crops, slugs make holes that expand deeper, and the leaves "leak", as a rule, in the middle, without affecting the large veins. Slug "pranks" are also easy to recognize by the silvery stripes of mucus and heaps of viscous excrement left on the leaves and fruits.

Slugs begin their invasion of vegetable gardens in spring: young seedlings, germinating seeds are attacked by young mollusks hatched from eggs. Youngsters, despite their small size, surprisingly gluttonous, can absorb food more than its own weight. If protective measures are not taken, then after 2 months the pests are already ready for reproduction and lay eggs. And by autumn, especially if the summer is humid, the next peak in the number of slugs is observed.

But the harm of mollusks is not only that they spoil the harvest of almost all vegetables, with the exception of hot peppers. On their viscous covers, slugs carry the infection, and in the digestive tract - spores of phytopathogenic fungi, for example, causative agents of gray rot, which pass through the intestines in complete safety.

The fight against molluscs began a long time ago. Back in 1910, the future famous scientist N.I. Vavilov, preparing his thesis, thoroughly studied the "habits" of naked slugs. Many of his recommendations are not outdated today. Recall some of them.

Do not create "cozy" conditions for slugs on the site, remove all crop residues that can become food for slugs (especially during their breeding season). In addition, under plant remains, slugs more easily tolerate adverse conditions (drought, slight frost).

Don't forget weeding. In thickets of weeds, especially near greenhouses and greenhouses, slugs endure heat and bright sun without significant losses.

And here are some modern measures to protect against slugs.

To eradicate weeds, treat the area with a continuous herbicide (Hurricane Forte, Glyphos). On areas that are too damp or located in a relief depression, carry out reclamation: dig ditches along the perimeter of the site with a width and depth of a spade bayonet, make drainage wells (soddy pits 60 cm deep, 40 cm in diameter), fill them with a mixture of pebbles or crushed stone from coarse sand.

Organically fertilized vegetable beds perfect place for slugs to live. And in wet years on a fertile site, nothing prevents slippery pests from being full masters. To minimize crop damage, fence the beds with pieces of plastic or iron sheets, build traps. Plant seedlings, especially cabbage, in more early dates: stronger and rooted seedlings suffer less from slugs. Around the plants, make rollers 5 cm high from the ground: it is more convenient to pour water into the formed “saucers”, apply fertilizers, and moisture does not spread over the surface. After watering, loosen the soil around the plants, sprinkle with ash. You can protect the plants with rings cut from 5-liter plastic water bottles.

Avoid dense plantings of vegetable crops: the more spacious cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, the less likely air stagnation and dampness.

Take the help of frogs and toads that willingly eat slugs. To attract "wahs" to the site, place low, up to 3-4 cm, water containers between plantings or near the beds.

Metaldehyde has been used worldwide for more than 100 years to kill snails and slugs.. It decomposes in soil carbon dioxide and water, is safe for earthworms and beneficial insects, and the blue color of the granules repels birds.

On the basis of this substance, products specially designed for amateur gardeners, for example, Thunderstorm, have been created. Its granules do not fall on plants, but simply create a protective barrier against mollusks. Slugs, trying to "break through the defense" and crawling through the Storm pellets, burn the glands that secrete the mucus they need. As a result, pests cannot move, feed on plants and quickly die.

It is better to carry out processing with the onset of twilight, before the slugs begin to leave their hiding places.. In the spring, when pests are just beginning to show activity, first of all spread the granules of the drug in moist shady places where slugs gather, hiding from drought. Then scatter them around the plants or between the rows. The bait in the composition of the drug attracts molluscs, and they themselves find it. Therefore, I do not advise stacking the granules in heaps, it is better to distribute evenly and little by little, so it will be possible to process large area. The granules do not mold, retaining their activity even in wet weather. Even two weeks of rain won't hurt them.

In the second half of the summer (from the end of July to the beginning of August), it is necessary to apply the drug again in order to destroy the slugs before the start of egg laying. This preventive treatment helps to significantly reduce the number of slugs in the next season, and thus protects young seedlings in the spring. And one more piece of advice: so that young slugs do not damage lettuce or carrot shoots, apply Thunderstorm at the same time as sowing.