Gardeners in the UK should learn to “live harmoniously” with slugs, snails and other molluscs rather than viewing them as their “greatest foe”, two leading horticultural organizations urged on Thursday. The Wildlife Trusts and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said they were joining forces to challenge the negative perception surrounding the role of slugs and snails in British gardens. The conservation charities have launched a “making friends with molluscs” campaign to highlight the importance to garden ecosystems of the often-maligned creatures.

“While a small number of slugs and snails can cause damage to certain plants, overall they bring many benefits to the garden and contribute to a balanced ecosystem,” RHS senior wildlife specialist Helen Bostock said. “We hope that by highlighting the crucial work that molluscs do in our gardens we can help give them a well-deserved reputation makeover.”

There are around 150 species of slugs and snails in the UK, and only a fraction of these pose problems for gardeners, according to the organizations. They noted that although slugs and snails may not be as valued as earthworms for soil restoration, they provide several important services in green spaces. That includes feeding on rotting plants, fungi and other organic matter to recycle nitrogen and other nutrients and minerals back into the soil.

They are also a key food source for animals like hedgehogs, while territorial species such as leopard slugs can help ward off other types of slug and therefore protect at-risk plants.

The 220-year-old RHS and the Wildlife Trusts, founded in 1912 and now an umbrella organization for 46 local groups, have drawn up five tips for gardeners as part of their campaign.

They include creating habitats for slugs and snails — by leaving log piles, mulch and natural debris in garden areas — and bedding in plants less attractive to them. Lavender, rosemary, astrantia, hardy geraniums, hellebores and hydrangeas are among such species. Other recommendations are to build barriers to help protect vulnerable plants, and to relocate slugs and snails found to compost heaps or other less sensitive areas. Finally the charities advocate creating havens for their natural predators — such as ground beetles, song thrushes, frogs and toads — by providing suitable habitats like long grass, log piles and wildlife-friendly ponds.

“The Wildlife Trusts want everyone to avoid using pesticides, which can indiscriminately harm other creatures too,” Kathryn Brown, its director of climate change and evidence, said. — AFP