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.

Click here to familiarize yourself 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 slug and snail control, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email at npic@ace.orst.edu.

Through its county agents, the Cooperative Extension Service gives individuals access to the resources at land-grant universities across the nation. These universities are centers for research in many subjects, including entomology (the study of insects) and agriculture.

Each county within the United States has an extension office, which is staffed with agents who work closely with university-based extension specialists to deliver answers to your questions about gardening, agriculture, and pest control. You can find the phone number for your local county extension office in the local government section (often marked with blue pages) of your telephone directory or by clicking on the map below.

U.S. States:

AK | AL | AR | AZ | CA | CO | CT | DE | FL | GA | HI | IA | ID | IL | IN | KS | KY | LA | MA | MD | ME | MI | MN | MO | MS | MT | NC | ND | NE | NH | NJ | NM | NV | NY | OH | OK | OR | PA | RI | SC | SD | TN | TX | UT | VA | VT | WA | WI | WV | WY | Washington D.C. |

U.S. Territories:

Puerto Rico | American Samoa | Guam | Northern Mariana Islands | Virgin Islands

Slug and Snail Bait Health Risks

• Keep Pets Safe Around Pesticides (see page 1) - Oregon State University Extension
• Taking the Bait: Metaldehyde Toxicosis - ASPCA
• Toxicology Brief: Metaldehyde Toxicosis - ASPCA
• The Toxicity of Iron, An Essential Element - ASPCA
• Amendment to RED for Metaldehyde - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Iron Phosphate Fact Sheet - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Additional Resources

• How to Control Slugs in Your Garden - Oregon State University Extension
• How to Manage Pests - Slugs & Snails - University of California Statewide IPM Program
• Slug Portal - Oregon State University, College of Ag Science
• Pacific Northwest Nursery IPM: Slugs and Snails - Oregon State University
• Brown Garden Snail Fact Sheet - University of Florida
• Slugs - University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
• Greenhouse IPM - University of Connecticut
• Slugs on Field Crops - Ohio State University Extension Service