Garden slugs create slimy problem across Edmonton
John Robertson | CBC News | Posted: August 13, 2016 12:30 PM | Last Updated: August 13, 2016
A damp, warm summer has turned local gardens into paradise for problematic pests
Helenah Girgis has a bumper crop in her garden this summer.
The warm and wet weather has created the perfect conditions - for slimy slugs.
"I have been making slug soup and slug skewers, and it has not been fun," Girgis said with a laugh.
Many gardens are overrun with the slow-moving creatures.
"We have had showers just about every day," said Jim Hole from Hole's Greenhouse in St. Albert. "They love that, because they don't dehydrate. If you think of a slug, his whole mission in life is to eat, reproduce and not dehydrate."
Lettuce and hostas are popular food for slugs, which can nibble garden plants to pieces.
Hole said plucking slugs by hand is one way to control the population. Gardeners can also try iron-phosphate pesticides, or can till the ground to try to keep the eggs from hatching.
Here's some ways to get rid of slugs:
Girgis said she's prepared to try anything, including the beer traps recommended by friends.
She wants to win her personal war, after losing an early battle after she put about 200 of them in a garbage can.
"The next day, I came out and they were outside the garbage bin, inside the garbage bin, on the patio, everywhere," said Girgis.
"It was like a horror show!"