What is a Garden Slug?

Slugs destroying a garden!

The garden slug is a pest that we must often deal with in our lawns and gardens, especially in the spring and summer months. These little pests have been known to destroy entire gardens, and cost a lot of money to get rid of (not to mention replacing all the plants they destroy). But what is a garden slug?

A slug is often described as a snail without a shell. Garden slugs need a certain amount of dampness or humidity to survive. They are found in the pacific northwest and southern United States. They are active at night. Garden slugs are also active when it rains. They spend daytime in debris like compost, or under logs and sticks. Many garden slugs are omnivorous, which means that they may eat a variety of foods such as dead insects/worms, and fungi, in addition to green plants.

Garden slugs are hermaphrodites. This means that they posses both female and male reproductive organs. A slug can starts off as a female, switch over to to male, then back to female again. Some species of garden slug can even self-reproduce, creating offspring without a mate. Most garden slugs mate and lay their eggs in the fall months. A garden slug can live for around two to four years.

Garden Slugs feed on our plants by chewing holes of various sizes in the leaves
and stems. The holes can be located on the edge of the leave or in the middle. And since garden slugs only eat at night, they only evidence that they were there along with the holes, is the slime trail that they leave behind.

Now that you know a little big about this garden pest, click here to find out how to get rid of slugs.