Slugs and snails
How to recognise it
Ragged holes in leaves and stems, particularly soft new growth, with silvery slime trails visible especially in damp conditions or at dusk.
Life cycle and conditions
Most active in mild, damp weather, especially spring and autumn; shelter in debris, under pots, and in dense ground cover during the day.
Prevention
Clear damp debris and hiding places near vulnerable plants; check emerging shoots at dusk in spring; encourage predators such as birds, frogs and hedgehogs.
How to treat it
Physical barriers (copper tape, grit) and torch-lit hand removal after dusk are fully wildlife-safe; ferric phosphate pellets, used sparingly, are an organic-compatible option approved for amateur use if damage is severe. Encouraging birds, frogs and hedgehogs helps keep numbers down for good.
Metaldehyde slug pellets are no longer approved for outdoor use in the UK because of the harm they cause birds, pets and other wildlife — there's no chemical alternative recommended here. The bio-friendly options are both the safer and the genuinely more effective choice for this pest.