Slugs are part of almost every garden, but they become particularly noticeable when they damage young vegetables, seedlings and soft new growth. Damp weather usually makes the problem worse.
Protect the most vulnerable plants
Established plants can often tolerate some feeding. Newly planted seedlings cannot. Concentrate your efforts on young plants and crops that are repeatedly damaged rather than trying to remove every slug from the garden.
Check hiding places
Slugs shelter in cool, damp places during the day. Pots, boards and dense vegetation close to vulnerable plants can provide cover. Keeping the immediate growing area reasonably clear can make it less inviting.
Water in the morning
Where practical, morning watering allows the soil surface to become drier by evening, when many slugs become active. Plants still receive the water they need without keeping the whole area damp overnight.
Encourage natural predators
Frogs, toads, some birds and ground beetles all feed on slugs or their eggs. A varied garden with shelter and water is more likely to support these predators.
Use control methods carefully
Barriers and other methods have mixed results and may work better in some gardens than others. Whatever approach you choose, consider its effect on pets and other wildlife and follow product instructions where a garden treatment is used.
Slug damage is rarely eliminated completely. Protecting vulnerable plants and making conditions less favourable around them is usually a more realistic aim.