Slugs are hermaphrodites, DeAngelis said, that are all capable of laying eggs. Some lay again in the spring. Home gardens are Edens for slugs. Full of food, regularly watered with plenty of cover, the home landscape often provides the perfect place for slugs to feed, grow and reproduce. Telltale slime trails and scraped or rasped vegetation are sure signs of slug residence in your yard or garden.
Slugs glide over a slime trail they produce.
Their mouths hold a horn-like rasping organ, used to scrape plant tissues off into their digestive tract. Year-round diligence is necessary to minimize the number of slugs in your yard. A balanced control program includes not only eliminating the slugs themselves, but also their food and hiding places. Place scrap boards on the soil under plants and between garden rows. Slugs seeking shelter under the boards can be collected each morning in a bucket containing soapy water.