Every spring I’m surprised at the damage snails and their homely cousins the slugs can do seemingly overnight to my vegetable leaves. And that’s about right. Most are active after dark and in the morning you’ll know they were there by their curvy slime trails, known as honeydew. And when you start noticing honeydew, it’s time to take action against the slimy slitherers. While there are several commercial products, I have no problem with crushing snails underfoot, as long as I look away. Slugs are a different story in my book. You’ve probably heard about beer traps, which lure 
slugs to death by drowning. I’ve always opted for snail and slug bait, which are sold in bags. One type is detrimental to small animals, and the other is not. So read the labels and be careful.
I think the better choice is diatomaceous earth, which can make slugs and snails go away or prevent them in the first place.
You know the diatoms you studied in junior high? They are all over the ocean floors, and somebody goes down there and scoops them up to put into bags and sell. Diatomaceous earth is good for many kinds of bugs that lounge in your garden, not only snails and slugs. If an insect moves over diatomaceous earth, it cuts him to shreds. Gruesome but true. But hey, it’s a good natural insect killer.
It takes just a thin sprinkling around your plants to treat for creepy crawlies. So, if you’re local, let me know and I’ll share.
