‘Slug-ageddon’ warning as UK wet weather risks huge surge in garden pests
The UK’s humid, temperate climate is ideal for slugs and snails (Image: Getty)
Gardeners are being urged to prepare themselves for a possible increase. slugs this year. The slimy creatures’ numbers peaked in 2024, as the moist and temperate conditions in which they live prevailed.
There are warnings of another potential “slowdown” after parts of the UK saw 50% of annual rainfall in the first six weeks of this year. Christopher Terrell Nield, lecturer in chemistry and forensics at Nottingham Trent University, said: flood This year has complicated the picture.
READ MORE: Mill, featured in the iconic Bryan Adams’ ‘Everything I Do’ music video, is now on sale
READ MORE: Gardeners told to add element that will create ‘wonderful’ spring garden
Flooding can kill slugs, but also the insects that prey on them (Image: Getty)
While flooding can kill slug eggs and adults, it can also affect the creatures that eat them, including insects and insect larvae, he said.
Flooding will also produce food for slugs, while gastropod molluscs gnaw on dead plants in the water.
Mr Terrell Nield said the Met Office had predicted this year would be hot, and the Environment Agency’s drought warning ahead of this winter’s heavy rains had also complicated the slug outlook.
Numbers fell from the previous year’s peak in 2025, but rain led to a rise in slug numbers last autumn, with the slimy reptiles still destroying some field crops, according to the expert.
He suggested there would be cold weather ahead of Christmas, a cold wind from the Arctic following a mild and wet winter, and the potential for more cold weather this spring would add to a complex picture.
Mr. Terrell Nield writes SpeechHe suggested there was both good and bad news: “Overall, conditions indicate that slug populations are increasing, but probably not as bad as 2024.”
Slugs and snails are common garden creatures that are well-suited to Britain’s moist, temperate climate.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), only a few species feed on live garden plants, and most of these prefer decaying organic matter.
The RHS says slugs and snails should be welcomed in our gardens as they help create compost and provide food for birds, frogs, toads and hedgehogs.
Webbed field slugs, brown soil slugs and garden snails are some of the few species likely to be found feeding on garden plants, experts say.
Encouraging frogs, toads, birds and hedgehogs can help reduce slug numbers (Image: Getty)
They especially like to eat soft, fleshy leaves and seedlings; hosta is a particular favorite.
Mr Terrell Nield suggested gardeners looking to control numbers might consider watering with parasitic nematodes, which transmit the deadly infection only to slugs and snails.
He suggested starting a compost pile to draw slugs away from “vulnerable” plants; placing bark, litter, sand or cat litter on the ground; Apply vaseline to the pots or water the plants in the morning so that the soil has time to dry before moisture-loving animals emerge at night.
The RHS recommends choosing plants that are not as attractive to slugs, such as lady’s mantle, bear’s breeches, Japanese anemone or foxglove.
He also recommends searching for slugs at night with a torch and placing them in a compost pile or leaving them to predators.
Mr Terrell Nield warned: “Whatever method you use, remember that most slugs are our friends and an important part of the ecosystem.”
