Slugs and Snails
People ask us about products used to control slugs and snails all the time. Slug and snail baits are widely available and can be harmful to people, pets and the environment if they are not used properly. As with any pest, it's important to learn about its biology before deciding on a control strategy that's appropriate for you.
The resources below are intended to familiarize you with the biology of slugs and snails and some of the various control methods. For local information on slug and snail control, consider talking to your local cooperative extension service.
If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 (seven days per week, 6:30am-4:30pm PST), or email at npic@ace.orst.edu.
Slug and Snail Baits: Health Risks
- NPIC Case Profile - Get Rid of Slugs & Snails, Not Puppy Tails!
- Taking the Bait: Metaldehyde Toxicosis - ASPCA
- Metaldehyde Toxicosis - ASPCA
- EPA Reregistration Eligibility Decision for Metaldehyde
- EPA Fact Sheet on the Reregistration Eligibility Decision for Iron Salts (including iron phosphate)
- Clinical, neurological and clinicopathological signs, treatment and outcome of metaldehyde intoxication in 18 dogs Yas-Natan et. al 2007.
Biology and Control of Slugs and Snails
- How to Manage Pests - Slugs & Snails, University of California Statewide IPM Program
- Brown Garden Snail Fact Sheet, University of Florida
- Tiny Game Hunting: Environmentally Healthy Ways to Trap and Kill the Pests in Your House and Garden
- Slugs - City of Seattle
- Pest Alert - Stop the Spread of the Cuban Slug!
- Managing Slugs in the Greenhouse - University of Connecticut
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