Cannibal superslug in garden rampage

6-inch pests can survive 20 pellets

GARDENERS are being urged to protect their plants from an invasion of cannibal superslugs.

The randy Spanish species, called Arion vulgaris, has been mating with slugs here, producing six-inch monsters. Experts say the hardy creatures can survive 20 slug pellets. Billions of the pests are expected to ravage gardens and allotments following our unusually mild winter. The humid weather has become an ideal breeding ground for Spanish slugs, which are known to feast on plants as well as dead mice and even each other. And birds and hedgehogs have been steering clear of the animals due to their unappetising heavy slime, meaning they have no natural predator. Sales of slug pellets have soared by nearly 30% in the past month in a race to save the nation’s bedding plants. Lloyd Taylor, gardening expert at budget chain Wilko, said: “The steady sales increase we have seen shows our customers are becoming increasingly aware of this garden menace and are taking steps to protect their plants.” The Spanish slugs are believed to have hitched a ride to the UK on salad leaves in 2010 and were thought to have been wiped out by cold weather, but milder temperatures mean they are now back in force. Since their invasion, it is understood they have mated with slugs in the UK to create a hybrid superslug that can survive both cold and hot weather. The John Innes Centre for plant science in Norwich said it takes 20 pellets to kill one Spanish slug, and recommended a saucer of beer as the best method of killing the pests. They are attracted by the brew and drown after clambering into it. Dr Ian Bedford, the centre’s slug and insect expert, added: “Home brew is the best, but it’s labour intensive.”

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