Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
size-
model predators
such as owls or falcons may be
purchased and placed in a suitably prominent place in
the garden.
Slugs and snails
Slugs and snails belong to the phylum Mollusca.
Damage
. The slug, unlike the snail, lacks a shell and
this permits its movement under the soil in search of
its food source: seedlings, roots, tubers and bulbs. It
feeds by means of a file-like tongue (
radula
), which
cuts through the plant material held by the soft mouth.
It can also scoop out cavities in affected plants (Figure
Bullfinch
The bullfinch
is another bird pest. It can seriously
affect soft and tree fruit yields by nipping out fruiting
buds overwinter.
(a)
(b)
18
(d)
(c)
Figure 18.6
(a) Slug damage on carrot; (b) black
Arion
slug; (c) garden snail; (d) slug trap made from a plastic
milk bottle; (e) carnivorous
Testacella slug
that eats
earthworms and compost worms
(e)