Now that 2017 has arrived it may be important to note that slugs remain active in fields where there was a problem some months ago. It might be no harm to take a look around your crops over the next week or so and watch out for areas that are thinning out along the row.

This could be slugs but it could also be grazed-off patches close caused by rabbits or deer. Damage by grazers will have the leaf cut cleanly and gone while slugs will leave a shredded leaf with the veins showing as threads.

Where slugs are the problem you may need to apply pellets. Slugs are much more likely to be active and take bait in mild conditions as they are cold-blooded creatures.

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