Guide
Dealing with slugs
Slugs cause the most damage at night and in wet conditions. A few targeted habits will cut losses without needing chemicals.
When they strike
Slugs are most active at night and after rain. Young seedlings and leafy crops are highest risk. Damage appears as irregular holes in leaves, or seedlings disappearing overnight. Look for slime trails to confirm slugs rather than caterpillars or other chewing insects.
Go out at night
A torch patrol at dusk or after dark is the most effective immediate control. Pick slugs by hand and drop them into a bucket of salty water. Focus on beds with recent damage. Even one patrol after heavy rain can dramatically reduce the population affecting vulnerable crops.
Remove hiding spots
Slugs shelter during the day under debris, dense mulch, pots, and boards. Clear material from around vulnerable beds. Keep the soil surface around seedlings bare and dry where possible. Raised beds with clear edges are easier to manage than beds with a lot of surrounding clutter.
Barriers
Copper tape around pot rims creates a mild deterrent. Gritty materials - sharp sand, crushed eggshells, or wood ash - around individual plants create a surface slugs avoid, though they need reapplying after rain. These work better as supplementary measures than primary control.
Encourage predators
Hedgehogs, frogs, toads, slow worms, and ground beetles all eat slugs. A small pond, log pile, or area of long grass near the growing space encourages these predators. Avoid using slug pellets indiscriminately - they can harm the slug predators you want to attract.
Protect seedlings specifically
The highest-risk window is the first two to three weeks after germination or transplanting, while plants are small and soft. Cut the bottom off plastic bottles to make individual cloches. Remove them once plants are established enough to tolerate some slug grazing.