Tommy Hein from Korsør got a slimy surprise when he discovered his garden completely overrun by hundreds of slugs one Saturday morning.
“There were slugs everywhere. You couldn’t step anywhere without stepping on a slug. There must have been at least 400 slugs at first glance,” he said.
The Slug Invasion: A Growing Problem
The discussion around slugs has recently intensified, with homeowners across the country struggling with these plant-eating pests. For Tommy Hein, this is the first time he’s faced such a large-scale slug invasion on his property, and it has been a major headache for him.
“It’s a massive headache. My grandchildren can barely play in the garden. What can you do with so many slugs? There are millions of them, and they’re disgusting—they even eat each other,” he said.
What the Experts Say
According to Julian Dons Henriksen, a biologist with the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, Tommy’s case sounds extreme but is not without explanation.
“It sounds very wild. But slugs tend to stay out of sight when the weather is dry. The recent weekend rain could have driven them out of hiding,” Henriksen explained.
Henriksen also noted that while there hasn’t been a significant increase in the slug population in Denmark, the issue has gained more attention lately.
“There’s nothing to suggest that the number of slugs has drastically increased. Weather conditions play a crucial role, and it can vary from year to year. The increased focus on slugs is why we’re seeing them more,” he said.
Tommy’s Unique Solution
Tommy Hein has taken matters into his own hands by employing creative methods to get rid of the slugs. Over the past few days, he has battled thousands of these slimy invaders.
“I’ve dug buckets into different spots in the garden and filled them with beer. I think they’re attracted to the smell because they flock into the buckets and drown. There are hundreds in each bucket when I empty them. It smells terrible and is absolutely disgusting,” he said.
A Glimmer of Hope
Despite the ongoing battle, Tommy hopes that the slugs will soon disappear, allowing him to finally enjoy his garden again. He looks forward to the arrival of autumn, when the slugs go into hibernation and become less of a problem.
By using these unconventional methods, Tommy has found a way to tackle the slug invasion in his garden, proving that sometimes, thinking outside the box can lead to effective solutions.
