RHS Cellar Slug Hunt

Project Summary

The RHS Cellar Slug Hunt asks members of the public to submit records of Yellow Cellar Slug and Green Cellar Slug in UK gardens. Get involved by heading out into your garden and seeing if you can find these slugs, taking photos of the cellar slugs you find. We welcome records from any time of year, as a one off record or part of a regular search.

Need to know

Start Date: 04/06/2020
End Date: 01/01/2021
County: National
Organisation Name: Royal Horticultural Society & Newcastle University
Project Category: Species surveys

Project Description

The Yellow Cellar Slug (Limacus flavus) was first recorded in the UK in 1884. In the 1970’s a second similar looking species was recognised, first in Ireland then spreading quickly throughout the UK, the Green Cellar Slug (Limacus maculatus). Since then, records of the Yellow Slug have declined sharply.

Has the Green Cellar Slug taken over? Are we about to witness the extinction of a slug in Britain? We need your help to find out!

We invite you to look for both or either of these species, and help us identify what garden features may influence where these slugs are residing.

These slugs can live for several years, so can be present all year round. As these species are nocturnal, it is best to search at night with a torch. However, you may also find them hiding in damp, dark places during the day. It is important that you take a photo of the slugs you find so that we can confirm your species identification.

Both these slug species are known to be detritivores, feeding on decaying plant material in gardens. They are not considered plant pests as they do not feed on live plant material.