Slugs and snails feed mostly at night and on damp, cloudy days. If you head out to the garden about two hours after dusk with a flashlight, you should be able to locate the culprits.

There are commercially available natural slug and snail baits but they are not demonstrated to be convincingly safe around edible plants and they can have a negative impact on wildlife. The various sharp, rough or scented barriers recommended online (eggshells, grit, sand, etc) have been tested in garden trials and have not had a reliable impact on slugs and snails, but attractants, like beer or scooped out melon and citrus rinds placed upside down, can be somewhat effective if inspected and removed regularly. These pests will drown in shallow containers filled with beer, sunk into the ground with the lip at ground level.

As these pests are attracted to dampness, watering in the early morning so that the soil is mostly dry by nightfall can help. Allow plenty of space between plants so that air circulates and dries the surface of the garden. Encourage biodiversity in your landscape so that natural predators can assist. Some birds, frogs, toads, and beetles eat slugs and snails.  Hand picking at night is a disagreeable but effective management technique. Dispose of them in a pail of soapy water.

Courtesy of the NYBG Plant Information Service