According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) entomology team, the winter cold snaps and recent dry spell will have helped limit slug numbers. Weather aside, years of high slug activity are often followed by lesser activity (RHS Gardening Advice Service records) likely owing to predation, disease, parasitism, and increased competition for food and breeding.

The prediction contrasts with 2024 when mild, wet weather across the winter, spring and summer resulted in the highest number of calls to the RHS advisory service since records began in the 70s. Of all the enquiries to the entomology team, 13% related to slugs and snails. This is thought to be as a result of slugs being active earlier, increased breeding and more persistent activity with the absence of any prolonged warm, dry spells forcing them back underground.

Even though often not regarded as a favoured garden visitor, RHS entomologists confirmed that slugs are very much part of a healthy garden ecosystem – with just nine of the estimated 44 UK species being notable “plant nibblers”. Gardeners are advised to keep young plants to grow strong indoors, under glass or up high – before being planted in beds or borders.

“Slugs are here to stay so learning to think like one is how you can best limit their pesky behaviour on your plot. While inviting wildlife into your garden will help to keep them in check you can apply layers of management that include tweaking your watering regime, using a dry textured mulch, or manually moving slugs to a compost heap after dusk,” explained Hayley Jones, Principal Entomologist at the RHS.

Also on the rise nationally are glasshouse thrips and red spider mite, which traditionally are limited as an indoor problem but have been thriving in gardens during recent warm summers. The colder start to the year could delay their presence, meaning damage could also be less severe this year, says the RHS.