Our Research
Our research focuses on 1) understanding the ecology of invasive slugs and snails in agriculture, horticulture, urban areas, the natural environment and at the interface of these systems, and 2) developing and implementing environmentally-safe novel strategies for the management of these pests. We are currently investigating the potential for using plant extracts (e.g. essential oils) as novel biorational molluscicides, assessing the potential for using natural enemies (e.g. nematodes, ground beetles) as biological control agents, and identifying novel attractants (e.g. fermenting bread dough) for use in both trapping, and attract-and-kill strategies.
Our research is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Protection Act (PPA7721), U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services, Oregon Department of Agriculture, California Department of Agriculture, European Union, Christmas Tree Promotion Board, Oregon Seed Council, Oregon Association of Nurseries, and Agricultural Research Foundation. We are grateful for the research support from these organizations.
We have active collaborations and projects in Oregon, Washington, California, Montana, Nebraska, Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Australia.