Slug alert !

kevinfury · #1 (**permalink**) 16-09-2011, 08:23 AM

Hi, I live in the outskirts of Glasgow and have noticed this year a marked increase in the slug population. I'm not a slug expert but these particular slugs are very large and vary from light brown to black in colouration. During the day they lie low on my lawn and at night you can see them all over the pathway leading up to the front door. It's also rather awkward when trying to mow the lawn due to the numbers involved ! We have no thrushes in our area strangely as the environment is excellent for nesting and obviously theres flenty of food thereofre the population has no natural predators as such. apart from the fact there seems to be no birds feeding on the slugs are there any reasons for the sudden increase in the numbers. It's not a problem for me as they are welcome to munch on the one or two Hosta's i have around the place but the numbers are prety high (have I mentioned this already ???).

Dillybythesea · #2 (**permalink**) 16-09-2011, 04:26 PM

Hi Kevin! Welcome to WAB! It'll be interesting to see what the experts say, but I'm wondering if you've been having wet weather lately (?!) - and/or damp muggy days. I believe slugs have to secrete mucus to move around over surfaces - and dampish conditions presumably let them travel more/ eat well/ maybe even reproduce faster or more successfully?

Maybe you could think about a nature pond. Frogs and toads go a bundle on slugs - or are you getting too fond of them for that?! Certainly your attitude to sharing your hostas shines like a beacon!

aeshna5 · #3 (**permalink**) 16-09-2011, 04:57 PM

Hi Kevin welcome to WAB. The mild wet summer has certainl been to the benfit of many molluscs. I suspect many of your large slugs may be Arion ater + closely related species from your description.

kevinfury · #4 (**permalink**) 19-09-2011, 09:30 AM

Yep, as I say I live on the outskirts of Glasgow therefore most summers are wet

It has been particularly wet and overcast this year so I guess that would account for the population increase.
The strangest thing I've been thinking of though is the fact that there has always been a healthy population of slugs around but absolutely no increase in predators. I've spotted a headgehog once in my garden and I know there is a massive population of frogs especially toads in the area as you see them all over the roads at this time of year migrating to breed I assume. I expected to see far more predatory wild life around if the food source is there. I don't believe in slug repelents etc as they don't really do any harm and I feel a little sorry for the things some mornings when I leave for work and find them struggling not to dry out on the path (I lift them up and help them out sad as I may be lol) + we have a population of snails (quite small with light and darker green stripes on their shells, not sure of the variety) and any anti-slug measure maye also affect these which I wouldn't want. Going back to my last point, I have lived in this house for around seven years and over the side fence is cow fields and over the back fence theres a birch forest but I have never seen a Thrush in this area which I find really strange ??

Thanks for the replies and the welcomes