ENGLAND — Entomologists in England are warning of a surge in slug activity that could threaten strawberry crops following an extended period of dry weather and recent rainfall. The shift in conditions has prompted slugs to emerge from hiding in large numbers, coinciding with strawberries fruiting earlier than usual due to recent sunny weather.
Dr. Hayley Jones, principal entomologist at the Royal Horticultural Society, said: "We have had such a long dry spring that they are all going to pop up at once. Slugs are really good at hiding out when conditions are not ideal and then popping out." She added, "Lots of vegetables are being planted at the moment. Strawberries are ahead of schedule for fruiting and slugs like to feed on them. A bit of leaf damage doesn’t make much impact but when they feed on the fruit that is a problem, we don’t want to be sharing fruit with slugs."
Young seedlings are also vulnerable. The Royal Horticultural Society is preparing for a rise in inquiries from its 625,000 members about managing slug populations. Staff at the organization have already observed increased slug activity in its gardens, including at Wisley in Surrey.
Since 2022, the society has not used the term "pests" to describe slugs and now emphasizes their ecological role, noting that slugs play an important role in planet-friendly gardening and maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Jones advised against killing slugs, stating: "They are just part of garden biodiversity trying to survive so we’d rather they didn’t get killed."
Instead, she recommended non-lethal control methods. These include spreading straw around strawberry plants—slugs dislike crawling on it—and keeping new seedlings on elevated surfaces like garden tables. Night-time searches with a torch can help gardeners relocate slugs to compost heaps, where they aid in breaking down organic matter. The society also discourages slug pellets due to risks to wildlife, promoting nematode-based biological controls for vegetable patches. Additional measures include using cloches, transplanting sturdy plantlets, installing ponds for slug-eating frogs, and encouraging birds with feeders.