Tallinn district to spend up to €20,000 battling invasive Spanish slugs

Tallinn's Pirita District expects to spend up to €20,000 this spring and summer fighting invasive Spanish slugs as local governments step up efforts to slow the pest's spread.

The Environmental Board has completed a new management plan for invasive slugs, urging municipalities to invest in both public awareness and control measures.

Reports of Spanish slugs have been recorded across Estonia, with the highest concentration in Harju County.

In Pirita, officials are focusing on public spaces where residents have reported large slug populations.

"Last year, the city issued [slug control] pellets, but handing out a pack or two of pellets per family doesn't really solve the problem," district elder Kaido Saarniit said.

Instead, the district is applying the poison pellets weekly at 20 to 30 locations, including Lillepi Park and other heavily affected areas.

Most of the work is funded through the district's budget. Saarniit said costs for pellets, container collection, disposal and volunteer cleanup efforts are expected to reach €17,000-€18,000, but could climb to around €20,000 if additional supplies are needed.

The situation remains less severe in Tartu, where the first reports from home gardeners came in last spring. The city responded by placing collection containers in affected areas, and plans to bring them back again this year.

"The biggest problem is people's backyards," said Riia Ränisoo, nature project manager for the City of Tartu.

She said slugs often arrive hidden in potted plants, soil and the root balls of plants purchased from garden centers before spreading into public green spaces.

"The fight [against these slugs] has to start at the source," she said.

On the western coast, Pärnu has also deployed slug collection containers for the second straight year. The summer capital is not currently planning to use poison pellets.

The Environmental Investment Center (KIK) may provide additional support through a nature conservation grant program reopening this fall.

Meanwhile, officials are urging gardeners and homeowners to inspect plants, soil and root balls for eggs, slime trails and signs of damage before bringing them home.

Local governments and developers are also encouraged to use soil, mulch and planting materials from reliable sources to help prevent further spread.