Gardeners beware: slugs returning after dry weather to threaten strawberries

Wetter weather expected to bring surge of slugs out of hiding, just as strawberries experience bumper early crop

Entomologists in England are expecting a surge in slugs coming out of hiding to munch the nation's strawberry plants after weeks of sun followed by wetter weather has caused a bumper crop.

The Royal Horticultural Society is bracing for a surge in inquiries from its 625,000 members, who write in with their garden gripes. Workers at the RHS have also noticed a spate of slugs in the charity's gardens, including Wisley in Surrey.

Slugs love a young, vulnerable seedling, so transplant sturdy plantlets grown in pots. These can then be given some protection with cloches.

The leaf-munching creatures are excellent for compost heaps as they get rid of dead and decaying matter, helping turn your waste into lovely compost. So why not go out with a torch on a mild evening while the weather is damp, and hand pick slugs into a container? These can then be placed either into a compost heap, where they can feast on all your garden waste, or near less vulnerable plants.

Some gardeners do strategic planting, making sure to put plants slugs find delicious near their favourite plants so these are eaten instead.

Why not dig a pond to encourage frogs, which will do slug elimination for you without the guilt of setting down poison pellets or drowning them in beer. It's better for the ecosystem, too.

Encourage birds with a bird feeder - especially during spring when the young can be fed with a juicy snail.

Raking over soil and removing fallen leaves during winter can allow birds to eat slug eggs that have been exposed.