Slugs view hostas as a nice nighttime salad

Q. Several weeks ago I planted several hosta plants. I noticed that now many of the leaves have large holes chewed in them. Could this be due to slugs? I've checked over the plants but don't see any slugs. If it is slugs, how can I get rid of them?A. Hosta leaves, along with strawberries and newly planted vegetables and other bedding plants, do make a tasty tender "salad" for slugs. It sounds as if these creatures may be the cause of your problem. Mature slugs are 1.5-2 inch long gray to black slimy mollusks (similar to snails without shells.) Another clue is the slimy trail slugs leave as they move across surfaces. Slugs are found in abundance during and after humid rainy periods as we've had for the past several weeks. They do their damage during the night and hide during the day. That is probably why you don't see any on or around the plants. During the day they hide in soil crevices, under boards, bricks, mulch and damp leaf debris on the ground around plants. Removing debris and hiding places should help reduce the slug population.A slug hunt can be a fun garden activity to do with children. After it is dark take flashlights and look under hosta leaves, bricks and boards and around the bases of plants. Handpick the slugs and dispose of them.People sometimes have success by putting stale beer in a shallow dish buried in the ground with the rim at soil level. Remove slugs and refresh the beer frequently. Putting coarse sand around bases of plants may also provide a protective barrier.If you need an additional control method try using a product that contains iron phosphate. (Two products available at nurseries are Snail Magic#8482;and Sluggo#8482;.) Iron phosphate (FePO4) is a compound normally found in the soil that acts as bait for slugs. They eat it, quit feeding and usually crawl away to hide and die within 3-6 days. Carefully follow directions on the canister by sprinkling around the bases of plants. Leftover bait will break down adding iron phosphate to the soil where it is harmless to humans, pets, birds and other wildlife.bull; Provided by Mary Boldan and Donna Siemro, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners. Send questions to Ask a Master Gardener, c/o Friendship Park Conservatory, 395 W. Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016, (847) 298-3502 or via e-mail to cookcountymg@sbcglobal.net.