Spanish Killer Slugs or Arion vulgaris have made their way into our gardens and crops, believed to have travelled over in salad leaves back in 2010, and were wiped out by the cold weather. However, now they’re back with a vengeance and said to be breeding with native slugs creating “superslugs” that can survive both hot and cold weather.
They grow to around 15cm in length and are classed as one of the top 100 most invasive species in Europe. They get the name “cannibal slug” because they have been seen feeding off of dead mice and even each other.
These slugs are such a problem as they’re so hard to get rid of. Beer traps and pellets won’t work on them and neither will copper tape. The only ways you can decrease their numbers is by introducing natural enemies. These being:
- Hedgehogs
- Toads
- Moles
- Lizards
- Songbirds
Or you can go out and collect them! This is done best when they’re collected before they start to get too big and lay their egg, which is between August and September.
