Slugs are common inhabitants of many gardens, often becoming active under the cover of darkness. These soft-bodied gastropods primarily emerge at night to feed on plant matter. Their nocturnal habits necessitate finding suitable refuge during daylight hours.
Why Slugs Seek Shelter
Slugs possess a soft, permeable body that makes them particularly susceptible to desiccation, or drying out. Unlike snails, slugs lack an external shell to protect them from moisture loss. Direct sunlight and high temperatures can rapidly deplete their body moisture.
To counteract this vulnerability, slugs instinctively seek out environments that offer cool and moist conditions. Avoiding direct sunlight is paramount for their survival. Furthermore, hiding during the day helps them evade predators.
Prime Daytime Hiding Places
Slugs frequently shelter under various forms of garden debris, which provide dark, cool, and damp conditions. They often congregate beneath rocks, where the stone provides insulation from heat and retains ground moisture. Similarly, fallen logs and decaying wood offer excellent hiding spots, as the porous material holds moisture and creates shaded crevices. Mulch forms a protective layer over the soil, creating a consistently humid microclimate that slugs find appealing.
Potted plants provide another favored refuge for slugs. They commonly hide underneath the pot itself or within drainage holes. The soil within the pot also offers a moist environment, and slugs can often be found just beneath the soil surface. Dense ground cover plants, such as ivy or hostas, create a canopy of leaves that block sunlight and trap humidity close to the ground, offering ideal conditions.
Garden ornaments and statuary also serve as convenient hiding places. Cracks and crevices in retaining walls, building foundations, or paving stones offer similar sanctuary. These narrow openings provide a secure, humid environment, shielding slugs from both the sun’s rays and potential predators.
Tips for Locating Slugs
Understanding where slugs hide can assist in locating them. The best times to search for slugs are during the early morning hours, just after dawn, or after sunset, when they begin to emerge from their daytime retreats. Inspecting areas known for retaining moisture, such as the undersides of leaves or within dense plant foliage, can reveal their presence.
Carefully lifting objects like rocks, stepping stones, or garden pots will often expose slugs clustered beneath them. Another effective method involves creating “trap boards” by placing flat pieces of wood or cardboard directly on the soil surface in affected areas. Slugs will often gather under these traps overnight, seeking shelter for the day, making them easier to find and manage the following morning.