cover themselves with a layer of mucous; it produces the shiny trail left behind them as they move. This prevents moisture from their bodies from being soaked up by the dry terrain they travel across.

When dry weather comes, land snails and slugs bury themselves in soil find another protected location. Snails plug up their shell holes with mucous while slugs secrete a mucous-filled cocoon for themselves. Both are herbivores that feed on plants and crops.

Habitat:
Snails and slugs are most active at night, especially after it rains. They feed on a variety of living plants as well as on decaying plant matter. On plants they chew irregular holes with smooth edges in leaves and flowers and can clip tender plant parts and seedlings. They also feed on young plant bark, foliage and ripened fruit that grows on the ground, as well as trees. Citrus is especially susceptible to damage by feeding snails.

Interesting Fact:
Snails and slugs move by gliding along on a muscular "foot." They propel themselves by sending waves of small contractions forward from the back of its foot toward the front, Also, slugs and snails are hermaphrodites, so all have the potential to lay eggs.

Control:
There are numerous homegrown remedies that are said to be effective in getting rid of slug and snail infestations. Start by ridding your yard of debris, piled wood, etc. to minimize daytime nesting areas. You can also put a bed of sand around your plants since they do not like coarse materials and will not cross it. Other common deterrents that are said to be helpful are crushed eggshells, wood ash, sawdust, and small quantities of salt.

The latter will kill slugs instantly.

Several types of barriers will keep snails and slugs out of planting beds. The easiest to maintain are those made with copper flashing and screen. Copper barriers are effective because it is thought that the copper reacts with the mucous that they secrete, causing a flow of electricity.

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