But when it comes to one of the most common pests that affects spring sown crops and pasture, it’s always better to be proactive rather than reactive, especially in direct drilling situations.
 

While there are many species of introduced slugs in this country, the grey and brown field slugs cause the most damage to crops and some pasture.
 

According to Paul Addison, technical specialist for Nufarm, the wet spring and summer set up perfect slug breeding conditions in several regions, with farmers already reporting serious damage to emerging crops.
 

Once a problem does become apparent, a lot of damage may have already been done that cannot be reversed, he says, and slugs can make a mess of newly sown crops or grass in a matter of days.
 

“The price for getting it wrong is just too high, especially when you’re looking at the overall investment required for sowing a paddock of new grass or crop.”
 

Addison says there are several types of bait available.
 

However, if farmers want to protect beneficial predatory beetles – which help control slugs in the paddock – baits containing methiocarb should not be used, because they cause secondary poisoning.
 

Metaldehyde, the active ingredient in SlugOut, is not harmful to earthworms, either; poisoned slugs pose no threat to birds or

small mammals.
 

Another key consideration in picking the right slug control is coverage, or the number of bait points per square metre, Addison advises.
 

“Industry research has repeatedly reinforced the importance of coverage in obtaining effective control where high numbers of slugs are present, most recently in the Foundation for Arable Research’s latest Integrated Pest Management guide.