Battling Brown Slugs: Expert Tips and Strategies
The summer has brought plenty of rain and humidity, but not everyone is unhappy about that. When there are beads in the grass from the rain the day before, a slimy creature is extra happy, much to the despair of many garden owners. “When there is a lot of rain and moisture, the brown slugs come out,” says Erling Fløistad, communications advisor at the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy (NIBIO). This year, the brown slugs have been out in full force.
A Surge in Brown Slug Population
Most people have probably already discovered the stowaway in their gardens. This summer, there has been an increase in the number of brown snails compared to last year. Fløistad is not surprised by this. “The increase we’re seeing this summer is purely a result of the weather. The brown snails are most active at night when it’s humid outside. Last year we had a dry summer, so we didn’t see as many of them,” he explains.
According to Fløistad, there is no comprehensive overview of brown snails in Norway. For years, however, Norwegians have been trying to eradicate the slimy mollusc that has spread across almost the entire country. According to the expert, this is easier said than done. “Once you’ve got them, you can’t get rid of them. They thrive in our nature and won’t disappear any time soon, but there are several things you can do to reduce the nuisance,” says Fløistad.
Impact on Gardens and Plants
The brown slug is considered a pest in Norway. “Brown slugs are a significant problem in many gardens. If you don’t do anything about it, they can destroy the plants growing in the garden. At the same time, many people find it unpleasant to have so many slugs in their gardens. Because once you’ve got a snail in your garden, you risk getting lots of them.
A snail can lay about 400 eggs. So it doesn’t matter whether it’s him or her. Snails are hermaphroditic, which means that anyone can lay eggs,” says Fløistad. Sidsel Bøckman, deputy head of the Norwegian Gardeners’ Association, agrees that the brown slug is a problem. “It’s an alien species that is not a natural part of the Norwegian fauna. It has learned to adapt to the Norwegian climate and is becoming a problem for vegetables and berries, among other things.
She also informs us that the sticky mucus on the snail is not particularly appetizing to other animals. “Another reason why snails can reproduce in this way is because they secrete a mucus that makes few animals want to eat them,” says Bøckman. “We all need to help each other try to fight it,” she adds.
Differing Opinions on Eradication
However, not everyone agrees that this is the best way to eradicate the brown snail. Arnfinn Landa, a retired farmer, thinks we should think differently about the brown slug. “I think this whole brown slug control thing is getting very hysterical. This is how it is to be in nature. That’s why we have to let nature get rid of the snails on its own, so that we don’t create an imbalance in nature,” he continues.
The researchers also agree that nature will eventually adapt. According to Fløistad, there is hope that the brown snail population will stabilize over time. “Some new or alien species that thrive in the wild become very numerous in a short space of time, but the population will not increase indefinitely,” he says. “In some places, you can already see a collapse in the snail’s dense populations. Several people from different local areas report to us that the population is almost gone where they are, which is something we expected to happen.
Expert Tips to Control Brown Slugs
But for now, the slimy invader is multiplying too quickly, which is becoming a nuisance for many garden owners and farmers. So the experts have some advice on how to reduce the problem:
1. Cut Them in Half
“Every evening at dusk, I walk around with a regular spade and cut them in half, so they die quickly. Don’t bother boiling or salting the snails, it’s just time-consuming and unnecessary torment for the snails,” says Bøckman. Erling Fløistad agrees that the best advice is to remove brown snails as quickly and easily as possible. “If you take a walk around the garden and kill or remove the slugs you find, you’ll also get an idea of where in the garden it would be worthwhile to clean up the slug hiding places,” he says. He adds that a combination of mowing, picking, and tidying up the garden has the best effect on the number of slugs.
2. Find the Hiding Places
Once you’ve killed a slug, more slugs will usually come and eat the split slug. Fløistad thinks it can be a good thing to leave the snail as a kind of bait for other snails. “There are only aesthetic reasons for removing the dead brown snails,” he says. In addition, he believes that this can help you find out where the brown snails live in the garden, which is very helpful. “Try to find where the brown slugs are hiding. You can do something about that. For example, a hole in the ground, a slightly overgrown corner of the garden, or loose stones.
3. Find the Eggs
Eggs are often laid in the same places. The brown snail lays eggs in late summer. The next few weeks are therefore important. “It is important to fill in holes or seal these areas. If there is tall grass there, you can mow the grass. This will reduce much of the nuisance,” he explains. If you clear out the eggs so that they are exposed to sunlight, they will die. The brown snail likes to live in the tall, damp grass, so Fløistad believes this is exactly where you need to look if you want to get rid of the stowaway. Think like a snail, where are they hiding and do something about the hiding places.
