Slugs and snails prove to be a pain in the garden

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced its ‘Top Ten’ garden pests for 2013 based on enquiries received by the charity’s entomologists.

As in 2012, slugs and snails topped the list with enquiries remaining at their highest since 2002.

Exceptional levels of rainfall in 2012 that produced one of the wettest summers on record created the perfect mild, damp conditions for slugs and snails to thrive; this appears to have ensured their traditional dominance of the list continued into 2013.

Damage from slugs and snails mainly occurs during spring to autumn, affecting seedlings and many ornamental plants and vegetables, especially potato tubers, hosta leaves and narcissus flowers.

Andrew Salisbury, RHS senior entomologist, said: "By identifying and understanding the pests that are damaging garden plants the RHS can really focus its scientific expertise to deliver relevant, world-leading advice to all garden lovers."

While slugs and snails continued to frustrate gardeners, perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2013 list was the appearance of plum moths (8th) which had never before featured among the top ten garden pests.

The small, pink caterpillars of the plum moth feed inside the ripening fruits of plums, damsons and greengages.

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