How did Spanish slugs end up… in Russia?

For gardeners in central Russia, this pest is no longer a novelty – it's a harsh reality. Spanish slugs (Arion vulgaris) arrived in Russia from Europe several years ago and are actively spreading.

What makes them dangerous? Their appetite and how fast they reproduce. A single individual lives for less than a year, from spring to fall, but, during that time, it lays up to 100 eggs. And since slugs are hermaphrodites, they don't even need a partner.

Their favorite menu items include cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini and, of course, sweet strawberries for dessert. They aren't just found in vegetable gardens, either – they also turn up in home yards, where they feed on grass. 

People use "folk" methods to combat them: they collect the pests in bottles, set traps with fermented ‘kvass’ (a bread-based low-alcoholic drink) to get the slugs drunk and sprinkle salt on the ground.

There's a catch, though: under no circumstances should you touch these slugs with your bare hands. Their slime contains parasites.

Do you know any other ways of combating Spanish slugs?