Slugs and hostas on my mind today.....

Slugs love dining on hosta leaves......

Did the slugs feast on your hosta leaves this summer?  They sure have been busy in my hostas at home this year since August!  At the lake I'm finding just a few hostas with minimal damage by  slugs! 

One of my most damaged hostas at home!
The slugs must have decided the sign invited them to a fantasy dining experience!
 

I followed my usual routine to keep their tummies full with slug bait, which usually works fairly well.  But, August brought me an overwhelming herd of them at home!  They must have heard my hostas were extra tasty this year!   I used the same product and routine of treating for slugs both locations! 

 I have been visiting with other hosta gardeners at home and find that they also have been experiencing a more than usual amount of damage.  But my lake hostas have been unusually beautiful this year with minimal damage!  One major difference in locations seems to be the soil with clay primarily at home and right beneath the top soil at the lake is sand, which drains very fast.  So, my conclusion is perhaps the amount of moisture retained by the soil conditions could be a major reason this year.  Slugs thrive on a moist soil conditions!   

Well, regardless, I am declaring war on slugs beginning now!  I've been researching various slug baits on the market and I've come up with a new game plan for my hosta beds at home along with a new schedule for treatments to include a fall treatment in early Oct.    One tip I found recently was to be sure to treat for slugs early October to take care of the latest batch of slugs about the time they are almost ready to lay their eggs which will hatch in the spring!  This sounds reasonable so, I'll give it a trial at home as well as at the lake.  I am thinking that I also may test two different products at home this next year in different beds.

If you also have clay soil please share with me what you have been doing that has been successful at reducing slug damage to a minimum!  Also, if you have been successful at treating hostas to reduce the damage some flying insects do in SE Minnesota...please share what you have done.