Why do we hate slugs? It’s the slime.
It’s the slime and the fact that a slug is a voracious, plant-destroying, mucus-secreting stomach on one big foot that can eat several times its body weight in one day.
And if you’ve ever stepped on a slug while barefoot — and what Northwest native hasn’t — then you know. It’s the slime.
Slugs love to dine on seedlings and destroy tender young leaves. At minimum, slug damage slows the development of the plant. At its worst, slug damage kills the plant before it can become established.
Slugs also love to feed on our precious strawberries and other crops, leaving behind mucus trails and destroying human desire for the tasty morsels. Slug damage from feeding also encourages mold growth and rotting.
Eating is a slug’s all-consuming passion. Slugs will eat algae, animal feces, carrion, centipedes, fungi, insects, lichens, worms, greens, fruits, vegetables, leaves and even other slugs.
And how do you tell the difference between slug damage and the damage of insect feeding? It’s the clear, silvery mucus trails that give them away.
Yes, once again, it’s the slime.
But to the slug, the slime has a purpose. The slimy mucus is used in locomotion, self-defense, moisture control, trail finding and mating. And more than one part of the body of a slug produces more than one type of mucus — one type of slime is very slippery and another actually can increase slug traction.
The slime trail is how slugs find each other and how they find food. But to humans, the slime trail can be a tell-tale trail to their destruction. Seek the trail to destroy the slug.
DEBBIE BURRIS of Lewis County WSU Extension Office says that a wet, cool spring provides ideal nursery conditions for the hatching of slug eggs.
Slugs are transgendered, having both male and female sex organs. The European garden slug can lay as many as 500 eggs per year.
Slug eggs can overwinter. They can be there for years and then hatch when conditions are right. To identify the eggs, look for oval-shaped, white-colored eggs in moist soil areas, under rocks, and boards.
The success rate for slug hatchlings is increased with the ideal conditions of our Pacific Northwest spring; increased vegetation provides hiding places for the young.
“And the damp soil and the lush growth allow the slugs to be much more active,” said Burris, “The conditions are great for slugs and slug eggs this year.”
There are at least 40 species of slugs in the US. Some of the more common types of slugs are the European red, the Pacific banana, the grey garden, the tiger and the leopard.
“It’s the small, light grey European slug that can cause a lot of the damage and, because they are so small — under an inch and a half — they can be hard to find,” said Burris.
She warns that these tiny slugs are often not attracted to slug baits, so handpicking is often the best method of control. Slugs are nocturnal, preferring the nightlife. Head out into the garden at dawn or dusk, with a flashlight, to find them.
And take care, some species can move quickly. Pacific banana slugs have been clocked at up to 6.5 inches per minute.
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Kimberly Mason is a freelance writer based in Cinebar. She can be contacted at kz@tds.net.
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Slug Damage Control Tips
The first step is to eliminate, as much as possible, all the shady resting places where a slug can hide during the day.
Slugs like to hide in decaying matter, under wood, fallen debris, pots, in tall grass and other protected areas. Keep your garden beds clean and weeded. Keep shrubs trimmed and branches off the ground.
Use a hoe to break up the soil to expose and then destroy slug eggs.
Plant selection is important; some plants attract slugs and some deter them.
Slugs love hosta, lettuces, strawberries, cabbage and many other vegetable plants. Some plants, however, repel slugs, including begonias, nasturtiums, lavender, rosemary and many others. To reduce damage, design your landscape using slug-resistant plants to surround slug-attracting plants.
Remove slime from hands and clothing with a little white vinegar and warm water.
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Slugging Slugs
Slug control takes vigilance and there are many methods of slug control. You can use biological or chemical warfare, or a combination of both, attacking the slug on all fronts.
Whichever method of control you use, interrupting the life cycle of the slug will produce the greatest results. Timing is the key. Slugs are more active after light rains and when evening temperatures rise above 50 degrees.
Handpicking slugs is highly effective control method, but you must be diligent. Carry a bucket of soapy water into the garden with you, plop the offensive pests into the water, and dispose of them in your compost pile after they are dead. Many slugs carry parasites, so wear gloves when handling slugs.
Chopsticks make a great slug removal tools. Or make slug kabobs using an old barbeque skewer to impale the slimy pests.
Trap slugs beneath boards or flower pots positioned throughout the garden. Slugs like to hide in moist, shady places. Inverted fruit rinds also make good traps.
Some use beer-baited traps buried at ground level to catch and drown slugs that fall into them. Be forewarned, beer traps are labor intensive and only attract slugs within a few feet, and the beer bath depth must be deep enough to drown them. Traps must have deep, vertical sides to keep the slugs from crawling out.
Barriers are used to keep slug out of your garden. One of the more popular barriers is copper flashing and screen. It is said that the copper reacts with the slime and causes a disruption to their nervous system, delivering something similar to an electric shock.
Predators are effective for slug control and slugs have natural enemies. Snakes, frogs and many birds find slugs to be a tasty snack. Chickens and ducks can be let loose into the garden to feed on slugs, but only after the seedlings are established. Beetles will feed on slug eggs.
Chemical slug baits and poisons are available. They must be used with caution — some are highly toxic to humans and pets — and are only effective for use during drier weather. There are slug baits available that are safe for use around children and pets, though they may take a little longer to work.
If a slug encounters what is normally a lethal dose of poison during cool, wet weather, they can recover unharmed. Timing is critical.
