There are few things as disgusting, as walking downstairs in the middle of the night, crossing the kitchen and then standing on a slug with your bare foot. Your skin is probably crawling at the thought of it, and with good reason too, as slugs are a very unfortunate looking creatures! That and we don’t like intruders in our homes at the best of times. But it’s not just the fact that the slugs are essentially trespassing on our property that upsets us, it’s the disgusting, slimy trail that they leave all over the carpet!
Whenever there is heavy rain, that tends to be when slugs do the most breaking and entering. So, why is that, and what can we do to prevent it? A question which we are often asked, and one that we will clear up for you in this article.
Only between 5 and 10% of slugs are above ground, the rest are underground where there is a lot of moisture. This is due to their nature, and how it is far easier for them to travel over damp surfaces. That’s why they constantly secrete slime, so that they can move with greater ease.
And slugs aren’t as dumb as they look: in fact, once they find a nice and damp area, they tell all of their friends. Blocking holes has little effect, particularly when you consider that they can stretch up to 20 times their normal length, enabling them to squeeze through the smallest holes – there are alternatives.
There are many ways of killing slugs, but few effective ways of actually preventing them from coming into your house. For example, laying down a line of salt by your door is an effective way of making a huge mess and killing them in a cruel and painful way. There is however, a cleaner and easier alternative.
The most efficient way of stopping slugs, is to find out where the damp is coming from in your kitchen or lounge and stopping it. Damp Detectives will be able to quickly find the source of the damp and offer the most appropriate solution for you. Once your house starts to dry out, the slugs will go elsewhere. It really is as simple as that.
Sources:
http://www.allaboutslugs.com/slugs-in-the-house/
http://www.countryfile.com/countryside/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-slugs-and-snails