![]() ![]() They take cover during windy periods and driving rain. Slugs are relatively inactive when temperatures drop below 38☏ or rise above 88☏. This “extra time” for feeding and reproduction can eventually lead to large slug populations. This is because as night temperatures decrease, the humidity of the air between the canopy and the soil often increases, if only for a few hours, even in non-irrigated settings. Even in the summer, when air temperatures peak in the Pacific Northwest and soils are dry on the surface, slugs can be active at night in closed canopy crops such as grass seed, legume seed, pasture/hay crops, or certain vegetable crops. They tend to be active primarily at night, but also feed and reproduce by day during light rain events, foggy periods, or after irrigating. By day, slugs usually rest in crevices and cracks in the soil, or under surface debris where it is moist. They are active above ground whenever the relative humidity in their immediate environment approaches 100 percent, the temperature is above 38☏, and the wind speed is negligible (<5 MPH). Slugs are closely related to snails but have no external shell. Slugs are among the most common and persistent pests of home gardens and commercial crops in western Oregon and Washington, and if left unmanaged can cause significant damage. ![]()
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