"Although flooding can kill overwintering eggs and adults, a mild wet winter will have reduced slug mortality. It may also affect slug predators. Beetles used for slug control in conservation agriculture can survive short term inundation but their larvae in saturated soil probably won't. Flooding also creates lots of ready food for slugs from plants that have died in the water, a potential slug fest as it dries in spring."
"With no shell to protect them, slugs rely on moist conditions - meaning they mostly reproduce in the spring and autumn. Last year was not a good year for slugs, as conditions varied from cold to extreme heat, with very little rainfall. However, three months into 2026, it looks like it's shaping up to have the perfect conditions for a repeat Slugageddon."
"Slugs are 64 times more likely to be caught in a trap containing lager than water, an experiment by the charity found."
After over 50 days of consecutive rain, the UK experienced sunshine and mild temperatures, but the prolonged wet conditions have created favorable circumstances for slug proliferation. Christopher Terrell Nield, a chemist at Nottingham Trent University, warns that 2026 may see a repeat of the 2024 'Slugageddon' when slugs devastated gardens. While flooding can kill some slug eggs and adults, mild wet winters reduce overall slug mortality. Additionally, flooding eliminates natural slug predators like beetles and their larvae while providing abundant dead plant matter as food sources. Slugs require moist conditions to reproduce, primarily in spring and autumn. Unlike 2025, which had variable conditions unfavorable for slugs, current 2026 conditions appear optimal for population growth, though potentially less severe than 2024. Gardeners can employ preventative measures, including beer traps, which attract slugs 64 times more effectively than water.
Read at Mail Online
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