Our Fall and Winter garden beds are less prone to pests, but snails and slugs will stick with you year round, feasting on all of your precious leafy greens. Physically removing them is difficult to keep on top of since they mainly come out at night to eat.

So, here are 4 organic methods for dealing with these pests.

1. Set out a cup of beer, the snails and slugs will climb in and drown.
2. Empty out half a grapefruit and place it face down on the garden bed, in the morning, spray the snails and slugs that have accumulated with a mixture of vinegar and water to kill the pests. Make sure not to get this spray on any of the plants.
3. Introduce beneficial insects such as ground beetles and marsh flies as well as frogs to help keep pest populations down.
4. Plant your crop with companions that deter snails and slugs such as hydrangeas, lavender, sage, yucca, creeping thyme, rosemary, and mints.

Let us know what works for you!