Slugs & Snails can be some of the worst creatures in your garden. They feed on both decaying and living plant material. Parts of plants that can be affected include leaves, stems and below ground parts. They produce large, ragged holes and can completely consume young seedlings. A very wide variety of plant materials can be affected and they are especially troublesome on hostas, strawberries, lettuce and cabbage. They are very similar to each other except snails have hard shells and slugs do not. During the day they can be found hiding in damp places such as in thick groundcovers or under flower pots. The most characteristic signs of their presence are the trails of mucus they leave wherever they crawl. Most land snails and slugs possess both male and female parts (hermaphroditic). In some species, an individual may behave as male for a while, then as a female but nearly always find a mate. In a few snail and slug species, self-fertilization does occur.