Will the Spaniards lose if they don«t take foxes as allies? 0 17

Spanish slugs are one of the main disasters for every gardener in Latvia. There are many ways to combat them, but the most effective method is still considered to be handpicking. And in a rainy summer, ideal conditions for their reproduction are created, writes la.lv.

There are studies and reports confirming that the Spanish slug (Arion vulgaris) can hybridize with local slug species, creating hybrids with increased adaptability, which makes the threat to our gardens even more serious.

The Spanish slug is on the list of the 100 most invasive species in Europe, characterized by high fertility and resistance to conventional control methods.

On the social network Threads, user @elisa.silina shared her successful experience in eliminating these pests:

"It seems that the Spaniards will lose, as the ladies and gentleman are on top!" she wrote, showing photos of ducks.

The author added: "These ducks were obtained as 'bottle ducks' (a breed of Indian runners – ed.), the owner said they are a bit 'strange', but they eat slugs excellently!" Another commentator clarified that Indian runners are particularly good at eating these pests: "Although they are also lazy – they get full quickly. Runners are true eaters. Real terminators!"

In the comments, there was also interest: "What kind of house do you have for them? I found my first Spaniard in the garden yesterday (there are plenty of them around), I want to get ducks in the spring."

To this, they replied: "We freed up a room in the utility building, filled it with a lot of straw, and keep them like that. Friends have a wooden house, but there is a higher risk that a fox or other predators will get in and bite them. Our ducks were also scared: the previous night, a fox got into the owner's wooden shed and killed all of them; these survived by a miracle."

Someone ironically summed up: "The sunset and end of the Spanish Empire."