Gardeners are being urged to brace themselves for a possible increase in slugs this year. Numbers of the slimy critters peaked in 2024 as the moist, mild conditions they thrive in dominated.

There are warnings of another potential “slugageddon” after some parts of the UK saw 50% of annual rainfall in the first six weeks of this year. Christopher Terrell Nield, a lecturer in chemistry and forensic science at Nottingham Trent University, said flooding complicated the picture this year.

He said while it can kill slug eggs and adults, flooding can also affect the creatures which eat them, including beetles and beetle larvae.

Flooding would also generate food for slugs as the gastropod molluscs munch on plants which died in the water.

Mr Terrell Nield pointed to the Met Office predicting this year will be warm and an Environment Agency drought warning before this winter’s heavy rainfall as also complicating the slug outlook.

Numbers dropped in 2025 from their peak the previous year, but the slimy slitherers still decimated some field crops while rain led to a rise in slug numbers last autumn, according to the expert.

He suggested a cold snap ahead of Christmas, a mild, wet winter followed by a cold blast from the Arctic and the potential for further spells of cold weather this spring add to a complicated picture.

Mr Terrell Nield, writing in The Conversation, suggested there was good and bad news: “Overall the conditions point towards increased slug populations, but probably not as bad as 2024.”

Slugs and snails are common garden creatures well suited to Britain’s damp, mild climate.

Only a few species feed on live garden plants, with most preferring decomposing organic matter, according to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), which says they “could be considered a gardener’s friend”.

The RHS says slugs and snails should be welcomed in our gardens as they help to create compost and provide food for birds, toads, frogs and hedgehogs.

According to the experts, netted field slugs, brown soil slugs and common garden snails are some of the few species likely to be found feeding on garden plants.

They especially like to eat soft, fleshy leaves and seedlings, with hosta being a particular favourite.

Mr Terrell Nield suggested gardeners who want to control numbers could consider watering in parasitic nematodes, which transmit a lethal infection to slugs and snails only.

He recommended starting a compost heap to attract slugs away from “vulnerable” plants; putting down bark, sand, grit or cat litter; smearing pots with petroleum jelly or watering plants in the morning so the soil has time to dry before the moist-loving beasties come out at night.

The RHS recommends choosing plants which aren’t as tempting to slugs, such as lady’s mantle, bear’s breeches, Japanese anemone or foxgloves.

It also suggests searching for slugs with a torch at night and relocating any to a compost heap or leaving them out for predators.

Mr Terrell Nield cautioned: “Whatever methods you use, remember that most slugs are our friends and an important part of the ecosystem.”