GARDENING Slug it out Wet summer weather has boosted slug populations even further

It is believed that the average British garden contains over 20,000 slugs and snails. Slugs remain active in temperatures of 50C and above, consuming around 40 times their weight in the space of a day.

Warnings went out much earlier in the season predicting a slug population explosion, warning that young plants are particularly vulnerable to attack, but when slugs are on the rampage and in numbers as great as they have been this year due to the mild winter and wet summer, nothing is safe.

“They are bigger because they have not spent time in a torpid state of hibernation, they are reaching maturity earlier because they haven’t had these periods of rest when their body mass reduces, and they breed whenever they are active, not seasonally.

“When it’s hot and dry they will hibernate, but because of the weather, we have seen 11 months of slug and snail activity in the UK, whereas it used to be around seven.”

The changing weather patterns - mild, wet winters and wet summers – have boosted slug populations, but the situation has been exacerbated by the loss of natural predators including hedgehogs, thrushes, frogs, toads and ground beetles, which feed on slugs and help retain the balance of nature, he says.

Deterrents include copper tape around plant pots, placing sharp sand or crushed eggshells around plants, or even building a pond or water feature which will attract toads, frogs and newts, all natural predators to the slug.

Some people recommend boiling up cloves of garlic, straining off the liquid and watering around plants with that. Other than that, it’s a case of continuing with dawn and dusk patrols to pick the slugs off.

While many people opt for slug pellets, Paul claims that even so-called organic varieties may harm other wildlife.