Where Do Slugs Come From?

Gardens are often affected by slugs in a very short period. You might be having no slugs when you plant your vegetables and then face slug infestation after a few days of rain.

Slugs are difficult to deal with. They tend to infest the entire garden and they’re also very good at hiding, which means you might not always see them even if there’s a large infestation problem.

Slugs come from overwintering eggs in the ground. They emerge in the spring soon after rain and increased temperatures activate the eggs. They come out at night in the same places slugs have been seen the previous season.

Slugs tend to appear out of nowhere. They seem to create damage to your garden by leaving trails (mucus). But many people don’t know where they come from and why they tend to always surface in the garden.

Where do slugs come from?

Slugs are already in the ground as adults or as eggs. They live in the ground and are always seen out of the ground seeking moisture after it rains. Slugs love high moisture and they need it to produce the mucus they use to move around. As a result, slugs love rain and they might only be truly visible around the garden after the rain has stopped.

Slugs come out of the ground looking for food. They like to eat all types of greens in the garden such as cabbage leaves and they move around the garden looking for moist places to hide in as well as for their next meal.

Slugs eat every day. You never see slugs during the day if it doesn’t rain since they prefer to hide in a shaded high-moisture place such as under a rock, a log, or in dense vegetation.

Slugs are nocturnal creatures which means they only come out at night. They only feed and move around at night as this is when the temperature is lower and when they don’t need to face dry surfaces or various types of predators.

Do slugs come from eggs?

Slugs come from eggs in the ground or sometimes slug eggs on leaves. The average slug lays up to 40 eggs each year. These eggs are deposited by slugs to hatch in the spring and over winter in the ground.  The eggs are dormant but rising temperatures above 64 degrees Fahrenheit prompt them to develop.

Slugs develop at slower rates in slow temperatures and optimum rates at temperatures above 62 degrees. This means slug eggs are already in the ground in a dormant state over the winter months and start to develop in early spring.

Slugs come out even before your first vegetables are read and it seems that they are there as soon as vegetables appear ready to eat and infest gardens.

Where do slugs live during the day?

Slugs aren’t visible or are just rarely seen during the day as they’re nocturnal creatures. Most slugs prefer to hide during the day but they might come out if there’s sufficient moisture or if they’re hungry even during the day, on occasion.

Most slugs hide in shaded areas or on the ground during the day. They prefer to seek out a humid place that is never in direct sunlight to hide. You may discover slugs under the leaves of large vegetables, fruit trees, or tall grass and shrubs.

Some slugs hide in the ground during the day. For this to happen, the ground needs to be loose and even clumpy since they need space to crawl through. Slugs are never found in fine soil with a compacted nature as they cannot move around it.

Do slugs hide in compost?

Slugs may or may not hide in compost, depending on your type of compost in the garden. They might prefer compost with a bit of bark or dry plant waste as this type of soil is aerated. It allows them to move easily into the ground to escape dehydration.

What happens to slugs in the winter?

Slugs overwinter as adults or as eggs. Adults tend to become inactive or dormant during the winter in freezing temperatures. Most slugs overwinter as eggs. These eggs do not develop in the winter as the temperatures are too low.

Slugs fully develop at the end of the winter and into the spring. Sheltered by soil (slug eggs are laid in the ground), slug eggs do not freeze. They are only dormant. The advent of warm weather and rain prompts eggs to start developing.

Do slugs come out during the day?

Slugs hide from the sun to the extent they are fully nocturnal. They eat and move around at night and prefer to rest on the ground or in other sheltered moist places during the day.

Slugs also prefer to come out at night as this is a time less likely to be spotted by predators. Certain beetles and even centipedes are among the common slug predators they are trying to escape. Slugs are fearful and without the ability to defend themselves against these and other larger predators such as chickens.

Slugs may come out during the day as soon as the rain stops as they love the high moisture this spreads through the garden. Rain also prompts new plant growth which is the perfect time for slugs to eat fresh food.

Where do slugs go when it rains?

Slugs need to find some type of shelter when it rains. They don’t have a hard shell to crawl into so they need to find cracks, crevices, or other forms of shelter.

Many slugs go into loose soil when it rains. They squeeze in moist hiding spots in the ground or above the ground and wait for the rain to stop. They might come out after the rain during the day, mostly for food or they might wait for nighttime to come out and eat.

Slugs might also be seen on sidewalks or the porch. They are only seen in these areas after it rains. Seeing slugs on your porch is a sign you live in a place where humidity is high. It’s also a sign rainy weather favors slugs in your area.