What are these little black worm-like things that are eating and destroying my gardens?

Question

I just went out to water my gardens and found little tiny black worm-like things on my plants and when I looked further, my plants are all chewed up. The worm-things dont look like they are moving , and some are even on the sidewalk where my garden spills over the border. . .

It's pretty ugly.

What are they, what causes them, and how to do I get rid of them?

I am in zone 6b.

Answer 1

with wasrm weather, things hatch, such as eggs that were probably laid , moth , butterfly, ect.    A good household item is hairspray. Spay it on the underside of the leaves , were the eggs tend to be laid.  I like Liquid Seven for anythother lawn/garden/ pest control

after ready other answers. if indeed the are slugs. UGGG...  get a small dish and fill it with beer.  they will drink themselves to drown !

Answer 2

They are called inch worms

Answer 3

They're a kind of slug and they are more than happy to eat the slug bait pellets that the hardware store sells.  This is good because you're putting poison on the ground near your plants rather than actually on the plants.  These guys are very easy to get rid of, luckily.

Answer 4

You have something that is in the larva stage, and from your description, I suspect that they might be flea beetles.  See if you can locate a small black/bluegreen/opalescent beetle on your plants.  That is the adult.

Purchase insecticidal soap and spray your infested plants.