Slug Behavior Slugs are mostly solitary animals, although on hot days will huddle together in the shade, flank to flank, to remain cool. They are mostly active just after rain because of the moist ground, and many species are nocturnal.
They have tentacles that look like antennae, on which they have eyes. They have a slimy, gelatinous appearance and feel to them. They may be a color similar to lawn debris, including gray, green, brown, black, and yellow. A very few species can even be red or orange.
Slugs are active only when the temperature is above 5 degrees C. In dry, cold weather they stay deep in the soil. Slugs have both male and female reproductive cells (hermaphrodite), but must find a mate to exchange sperm before they can reproduce. They lay batches of gelatinous, watery eggs in moist crevices.
If a slug is frightened or not active the slug will retract its head into the mantle for protection. The mantle also forms the respiratory cavity. In some slug species there is a small piece of shell in the mantle, this is because slugs have evolved from snails.
Slugs and snails hide in damp places during the day. They stay under logs and stones or under ground cover. They also hide under planters and low decks. At night they come out to eat.
Moisture. In order for your slug to be happy, moist and healthy, spray the container with enough water from time to time. Without this, your pet will dehydrate, become dry and eventually die.
Slugs will sleep on and off for several hours at a time but then might stay awake for 30 hours without a break. Slugs may also hibernate, depending on the weather conditions. They will stay active when temperatures remain above 5 degrees Celsius / 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slugs also sparked a debate over whether they are dangerous to touch and harm humans. The answer is yes. They might appear to be innocent and touchable, but they carry a variety of parasites. The most common is the rat lungworm or Angiostrongylus cantonensis, and its infection can lead to severe issues.
Plants that slugs hate
As well as those with tough leaves or woody stems that they find difficult to chew. The robust lacy fronds of shade-loving ferns and thick leaves of Geranium, Bergenia (Elephant's ears) and Saxifraga × urbium (London pride) are all too thick for them to sink their teeth into.
Crushed Eggshells
The edges are sharp enough to hurt slugs should they decided to slide over them. So, when gardeners spread the eggshells around their beloved plants, the crushed shell pieces are to form a protective barrier that slugs and snails should know better than to cross.
Adult slugs overwinter and can lay clutches of eggs when environmental conditions are right. A slug's life expectancy is from 6 to 12 months, and some up to 18 months.
Like hibernation, it's characterized by a state of inactivity. Snails adapt to the changes in weather conditions by hibernating or estivating, explains Arizona Pet Vet. Meanwhile, their bodies produce mucus that protects them from the elements. This sleep-like state may last for up to three years.
An impregnated slug will lay between 3 and 50 eggs in a somewhat sheltered spot (under a bark chunk, in a small hole or crevice or someplace similar). Baby slugs will hatch in a month or two and mature in a few months.
Slugs and snails are very important. They provide food for all sorts of mammals, birds, slow worms, earthworms, insects and they are part of the natural balance. Upset that balance by removing them and we can do a lot of harm. Thrushes in particular thrive on them!
Mollusks like slugs are generally harmless to handle, but they can carry parasites that can transmit to people via accidental ingestion on unwashed produce.
Fun Slug Facts for Kids:
Slugs don't have shells, meaning they have less protection than snails. However, this allows them to slither under the soil more easily and hide there from any predators. Slugs live in dark, damp places and often come out when it rains. Slugs lay eggs.
Some birds, frogs, toads, hedgehogs, slow-worms and ground beetles eat slugs and these predators should be encouraged in gardens. Raking over soil and removing fallen leaves during winter can allow birds to eat slug eggs that have been exposed.
Pouring salt on a slug will kill it in a matter of seconds, however, it generally takes quite a bit of salt to do so. The salt kills the slug through osmosis – it draws water from inside the slug and rapidly dehydrates it.
Slugs try to escape from temperatures higher than 21°C(54°F). Slugs are also sensitive to air currents. Gentle breezes elicit a positive response in which the slug turns toward the source and extends its antennae. As the breezes become more brisk, the slugs turn away from the source evidently to escape dehydration.
Gardeners are urged not to kill slugs and snails or resort to pest control pellets this summer to help save wildlife. The gastropods are often branded as pests by keen gardeners for nibbling holes through leaves of vegetables, fruits and plants.
THE SLUG has a moist skin, so when you sprinkle salt on to it a strong brine quickly forms. The process of osmosis then begins, by which water is drawn from a weak solution (in this case the body fluid of the slug) into a stronger one. Result: the slug dies a lingering death by dehydration.
Slugs are not poisonous to dogs, but they do transmit lungworm. Lungworm infection can be fatal and so it is crucial to ensure your dog is protected. What is lungworm? Lungworm is the name given to a parasite called Angiostrongylus vasorum.
During the day, slugs tend to seek out dark, damp, and sheltered environments to protect themselves from dehydration and predators. They can often be found hiding in the soil, under rocks, beneath leaf litter, or in crevices between stones or wood.
If you come across a slug or a snail pick it up and dispose of it but don't throw it over the fence – they have a 'homing' instinct and will come back!
Snails and slugs are most active at night and on cloudy or foggy days. On sunny days, they seek hiding places out of the heat and bright light. Often the only clues to their presence are their silvery trails and plant damage. During cold weather, snails and slugs hibernate in the topsoil.