That looks like a cutworm, not a slug.

Here is a link that might be useful: cutworm images

Visit, absolutely not a slug and doesn't look like any cutworm I've seen. It does look rather like the larvae of a cranefly, which can cause problems for above and below ground plant parts.

Google slug images to see.

start over .. its extremely early .. and they are cheap ...

whatever it is.. it will soon turn into whatever it is ... meaning.. there isnt much to do about it ...

and if this is the only one you found in the area.. then there is definitely nothing to do about it ... dont waste money on cures ...

just try to go zen.. and understand.. that you are not a true gardener.. until you have killed.. every single plant.. 3 times...

do not get discouraged ... and quit ...

and while you are at it.. one of your problems.. was your monoculture.. perhaps if you had a couple other plants.. of different kinds ... this particular foe.. would not have taken them all .. so when you go get some more.. throw in a petunia ... allysum ... and something else or two... aw heck.. buy one of everything.. and just jam it in your plot.. lol ... they dont call it an english cottage garden for nothing.. lol..

we need more garden friends.. and welcome to GW ... see you in the annual forum ...

ken

Thanks a lot all for the useful info....

Just a bit of a background, i have been in Kenya and India into gardening from when i was a kid and this is the first time this kind of a damage early in the lifecycle :) we had lots of frogs and toads that eat all these little buggers and may be that's why i haven't noticed them.

And now after 10 years in England, I recently moved to a house with a garden from living in a flat and my gardening interest sprung back into action :)

Ken: this is not the only one, had loads that i picked up and dunked in soap water every night on a daily night patrol with a torch light :) and i knew these were not slugs as the Google images were different and lucky got this forum to get the info.

Also have roses and Lavender and this one has even chewed a couple of tender lavender stems too, have heard most pests don't touch lavender for the strong scent they have.

Will definitely be starting again, but based on the numbers i have seen i guess i need some kind of a control before it gets out of hand as its becoming a bit tedious to do the night rounds.

The beds were all newly built and filled with compost and top soil from the shop, may be the eggs were in the compost....

Thanks a lot Rhizo,

they are indeed the larvae of cranefly as you pointed out

http://bugguide.net/node/view/258456/bgimage

they are also called leatherjackets and have seen nematodes on sale here in the UK.

Just because that isn't a slug doesn't mean that you don't have slugs. Do you see any delicate slime trails in the early morning dew?

Dennis

There aren't that many slugs as this larvae to start a war against, just a very few at the moment,
Thinking it was slugs causing the damage i have put sharp sand on top of the beds which would be a bit of a deterrent to the slugs.
this one took me by surprise with the numbers i could catch in one night.

hope the slugs wont multiply after the larvae saga gets over...

Sharp sand doesn't deter slugs. Handpicking does.