How To: Get rid of garden snails and slugs

Tired of losing your gardening efforts to snails and slugs? Use these methods to banish the pests.

You Will Need
* A container of warm, soapy water
* Diatomaceous earth
* Ceramic flowerpots
* Beer
* Sugar
* Baking yeast

Step 1
Remove slugs and snails by hand. Check in shady and moist areas around the plant – under the leaves and in the soil.

Step 2
Drown removed pests in warm, soapy water.

Step 3
Spread diatomaceous earth around individual flower or vegetable plants – it cuts the bodies of snails and slugs.

Reapply diatomaceous earth after rain.

Step 4
Place ceramic flowerpots upside-down near infested areas. Dispose of snails and slugs that gather in the shade of the overturned pot.

Step 5
Bury a small, coverless container level with the soil near infested areas. Fill one-half inch from the top with beer and dispose of pests after they fall in.

You can also create a yeast trap by combining ½ teaspoon yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar with 8 ounces water.

Step 6
Maintain your garden to minimize the shady areas. Keep out weeds, and get rid of boards or other decorations or debris that provide shade and moisture for these pests.

Step 7
Stay on top of your snail and slug infestation, beginning when you see young snails and slugs. Your work will pay off with increased vegetable and flower yields.

Fact: Snails can live without moisture for four years or more.