what do slugs eat?

Answer 1

Depending on the slug species they eat a broad range of items including many kinds of plants, algae, fungi, lichens, carrion, worms and insects. Slugs particularly eat water stressed or transplant stressed plants. Slugs have rasps called radula to scrape the leaf surface into pieces then into the mouth. This limits them to softer leaf surfaces with less waxy cuticle such as the growing tips of new plants, fast tender annuals, stressed plants or fleshy fruit. Some slugs like Pacific banana slug (Ariolimax columbianus) eat only forest detritus, dead or rotting material. Snails tend to be detritivores more than slugs.

Some plants fight back by producing coumpounds that repel the slugs. King Edward potatoes are resistant to slugs, apparently because they contain enzymes that readily oxidise phenolics to bitter-tasting quinones but also causes the potato to discolor when cut. Glucosinolate is another chemical that slugs dislike so plants produce in their defense. Unfortunately many of our crops have been bred to produce less because we don't like these either.

Answer 2

Almost anything. They prefer plants and can reduce a flower to a stump overnight, but they will eat paper, glue, oats and dead slugs if the dead slug is not dead from salt. Kill a slug and leave it for an hour and you'll find lots more slugs gathered round.

Answer 3

Slugs are recyclers: ie, eat carrion, just about anything they encounter. They are an important food source for land turtles, who gobble up as many as they can find.

Answer 4

The lettuce in my garden!