Do Slugs Lay Eggs?

Slugs seem to reproduce at a rapid rate. One minute you’ve got one or two slugs and, in a few months time, there are hundreds. So how do slugs reproduce? Do slugs lay eggs or is it another form of reproduction?

Unfortunately, slugs do lay eggs. They can lay anywhere from 20 to 100 eggs in one period and will lay eggs multiple times per year.

Slug eggs are round and look like pearls. The slugs lay these eggs in clusters, and in one lifetime, slugs lay around 500 eggs.

You will find slug eggs in moist soil, sometimes on the surface but often beneath the soil surface. When slugs lay eggs, it can take as little as two weeks for them to hatch. 

What Do Slug Eggs Look Like?

A way to know beforehand if your garden is facing a threat from slugs is to look for eggs. Slug eggs are small and round, resembling pearls.

Slugs lay their eggs in clusters beneath the soil or on the surface, given that it is moist. When slugs lay their eggs, they are translucent. However, as the eggs mature, they turn white.

How Big is a Slug Egg?

Slugs deposit their eggs in clusters, and they are stuck to each other. Slug eggs are small, and the size of each egg is 4 to 5mm in diameter like little polystyrene balls. 

Where to Search for Slug Eggs ?

Adult slugs lay their eggs on the surface of the soil or just beneath it to keep them protected. Unfortunately, if you do not recognise these eggs and remove them, they will hatch and lead to an infestation fairly quickly.

You can find these eggs by doing a little digging underneath pot plants and debris. It is important to know that you may not always find slug eggs because they lay them in hiding.

Slugs prefer laying eggs in wet and moist environments. Therefore, you will have a better chance of finding eggs if you search for them in the evening or early morning when it’s easier to determine which parts of your garden are damp.

Why Slug Eggs are Bad!

Having slug eggs in your garden soil is not something you will want to hear as a gardener. If you identify slug eggs in the soil, you must remove them immediately before your garden faces any damage. 

Slug eggs can hatch as quickly as two weeks, and once they do, the plants in your garden will not be safe from damage as they quickly mature into plant-eating slugs.

How to Get Rid of Slug Eggs from Soil 

The first step is identifying slug eggs in your garden. After identifying and figuring out that you have slug eggs in your garden, you must remove them. There are different ways you can adopt to get rid of slug eggs from the soil.

Soapy water is one such method that works well with insects and pests. You can pour soapy water on the eggs, and it will instantly kill them. 

The most basic thing you can do is to remove the slug eggs with your hands. You can remove the eggs with the help of tweezers and then immerse them in soapy water to kill them.

If you’re not squeamish then you can also use tweezers to break the slug eggs.

How to Avoid Slug Eggs in Gardens

To ensure that there are no slug eggs in your garden, you need to prevent slugs in the first place. In addition, it is essential to take preventative measures against the slugs to avoid them entering your garden.

The first thing you can do is dig holes and cover them with cardboard to stop the slugs from laying eggs as they will get trapped inside. 

You can use natural deterrents to keep the slugs at bay. The other option is to ensure your garden doesn’t seem like an attractive proposition for slugs. To do this, you need to encourage slug predators to your garden such as frogs, foxes, hedgehogs and birds.

If you do not have many slugs, you can handpick them from your plants and throw them away. The best time to handpick slugs is during the night or early morning when it is dark and moist.

Summary

When it comes to learning about slugs, one of the most common questions is how they reproduce at such a rapid rate. These pests lay their eggs in soil or just beneath the surface.

The eggs look like translucent pearls in clusters; however, as they mature, they turn white. Slugs choose to lay eggs in moist and damp places. In addition, slugs also prefer to lay eggs under nutritious leaves like lettuce.