Slug suggestions made

Gardeners who have problems with slugs in their garden have been given a range of advice by sector commentator Jane Owen.

Writing in the online pages of the Times, she suggests that people eager to remove the slimy beasties by hand may have more luck carrying out a night time raid as slugs are nocturnal.

For those who are more keen to prevent slugs than attack them, she notes that copper rings slotted into the soil around plants can be highly effective as the creatures taste everything that they move across and they dislike coppers flavour.

However, the presence of slugs in a garden or greenhouse is not all doom and gloom, Ms Owen explains, noting that they can help to break down waste material in a horticultural space.

Meanwhile, the BBC recommends that gardeners avoid using slug pellets as they can harm other fauna, such as hedgehogs, birds and frogs.