First, we noticed that some plants in our vegetable bed weren't establishing themselves, in particular our runner beans. The same seed sowed in containers at the same time was flourishing. The leaves in the bed plants simply weren't growing.

A few weeks later the leaves finally began to get a little bigger but were in a sorry state and were looking a little nibbled. At this point we knew that it was the time of year for slug patrol.

When the warmer weather hits, slugs and snails look for moist food early morning and late at night. They found perfect conditions in our garden and had probably been feasting on our runner beans for a few weeks without us noticing.

Another tell-tale sign is silver/white snail trails in your garden which are their mucous trails. Look under leaves, on leaves, near plants etc.

This guide explains how we try and control slugs and snails in our vegetable garden.

1. The first organic method that we use is bagging. We simply hunt the garden for slugs or snails and put them in a carrier bag for the rubbish bin. We try to do this regularly each night and early morning if possible, gradually numbers decrease and frequency of bagging can also be reduced.

They appear to love the early morning when the Sun isn't too high in the sky. Look for them in shady spots. In the corner of containers, under rocks and ledges or even stuck on the underside of your plant leaves. Put on your marigolds, put them in the carrier bag and chuck them out with the rubbish. If you search for slugs and snails when it is getting darker, you are more likely to find them.

2. You could try filling a disposable plastic cup with beer, digging a hold in the ground and placing the cup in the hold so that the rim of the cup is level with the surface. Snails are attracted to this and will dehydrate using this method.

3. You can buy copper rings that you can bend around the base of your plants to make it harder for pests to crawl up. They form a barrier between the plant and the pest.

4. This one isn't always practical however if you can eliminate places that they can hide under i.e. stones, weedy areas and covered areas, snails and slugs need somewhere to hide from the sun, if you can remove their protection, their numbers will decline.

5. Try growing snail proof plants (fuchsias, lavender, sage, rosemary etc) in areas of the garden where you can't remove hiding places and where snails and slugs are more active.

6. Try placing inverted flower pots throughout the garden, snails will hide there during the day and are easier to find in this way. If you raise the edges slightly, the pests will find it easier to hide.

7. You could try a bird table to attract natural enemies of slugs and snails however it is unlikely they will be able to reduce numbers enough.

8. Then there slug/snail pellets/bait. The pellets are sprinkled thinly on your bed and will kill slugs and snails by increasing their mucous production in an effort to clear the toxins when they come into contact with the pellets. This method should be used with caution with children and animals present and would be safer to use around fruit trees, taller plants that won't come into contact with them.

They are very effective when used at the right time. Try to avoid hot days as there will be less pest activity. The first time you use these pellets, they will amaze you.

In summary, using any or all of these methods will help protect your precious crops. We recommend that you start looking earlier than you might think. Snails mature at 2 years of age and slug at 6 months. In winter they hibernate in the the soil. When the frosts are over, they become active. Late April/Early May in our area (Kent, UK) seems to see an increase in slug and snail activity.

Robert lives with his Wife and 1 year old son in Kent in the UK. He grows vegetables with his wife's help for home consumption. His website and blog follows progress in his garden and provides tips and guides to help making growing vegetables easier.

Reprinted with permission.