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What is it?
Strawberry snails and slugs are known as mollusks. These strawberry pests are related to other mollusks such as oysters, clams and other shellfish. As with all mollusks, strawberry snails and slugs require a moist environment at all times which is why they are more likely to be seen in your strawberry garden plants during evening hours when the night is cool and moist, rather than in times of direct sunlight or dry spells.
What does it look like?
The snails and slugs which attack strawberries are usually quite small, and they would need to be enlarged three times to be seen as a 1/2 inch pest. However, these mollusk pests of strawberry plants can be especially devastating to the fruit crop if left uncontrolled. The primary difference between the strawberry snails and slugs is that the snails have hard shells. These hard shells protect the strawberry snails, and the pests will withdraw into its shell if it is disturbed, whether or not that disruption was intentional. Strawberry snails also have an advantage over strawberry slugs in that the hard shell of the snails is a ready made cover and environment where the pest can stay moist and avoid direct sunlight, whereas the strawberry slug must find cover and protection during the day in leaves and soil or beneath heavy groundcover or flowerpots. Like all mollusks, you can often see a silvery trail winding around the affected areas of your strawberry plants and fruits. This is a typical sign of all mollusks which leave the silvery trail in the wake of their movement which is often slimy. Damage from these mollusk strawberry pests show in the form of leaves which are sheared off or appear chewed as well as holes in ripening berries. Often the holes are oozing with silvery trails left behind the strawberry slugs and snails.
How does it manifest?
Strawberry snails and slugs increase in population in much the same manner. The strawberry slug adult females lay their eggs in a slime encased mass in protected places, much like those they take cover under during the heat of day. You may find strawberry slug egg masses beneath heavy groundcover, thick foliage, overturned flower pots and similar protected areas which are sure to remain moist and mostly undisturbed. Strawberry snails, on the other bury their eggs in the soil. Adult females lay their eggs in a slimy mass similar to strawberry slugs, but they make sure to bury them beneath the soil rather than in above ground areas like strawberry slugs. When the young of either strawberry slugs or snails hatch they appear exactly like miniature versions of their parents.
What can you do about it?
Metaldehyde containing bait can be placed on areas of the strawberry plant which you wish to protect from snail and slug damage. However, you do not want to apply the bait to the leave portion of the plants. You do, however, want to be sure you have adequate amounts of bait in areas that strawberry snails and slugs may be hiding from the heat and dryness of the day. These areas include heavy ground covers, weeded areas, places where flowerpots are stored or in areas of compost piles. All of these areas are excellent places for snails and slugs to protect themselves and remain moist until they can feed on the strawberries again. It is also an excellent measure to add more moisture to the areas where you apply bait by watering them. This will encourage snail and slug activity in that area because it will be the moistest environment near the strawberry plants. Be sure to wet the area prior to applying bait. If one treatment of metaldehyde does not adequately control damage from strawberry snails and slugs you may need to apply a second application at two weeks, and continue to apply the bait at two week intervals until the population has been controlled.
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