How to get rid of Snails

snails gastropoda how to get rid of

Snails  are members of the molluscan class Gastropoda. They can affect your garden and could do some damage to your crops and plants, although the severity of the damage could really depend on the type of snail that you are dealing with.
Getting rid of snails can be challenging, but if you follow along with the methods listed below, you will manage to control these pests and clear out your garden. They can be deterred either through the use of natural methods, chemical pesticides or traps. As always with repelling pests, the best way to act against them is through is a combination of methods. A complex action against them will cover more ground and reduce the possibility or their reappearance.

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Natural pesticides against snails

You can use several types of natural and organic solutions to combat the snails  roaming through your garden. Making traps out of beer is one effective way to lure them and then dispose of these mollusks. By placing bows or buckets of flat beer and leaving it overnight in your garden, you will be able to attract snails, as they like the smell of beer. Once they climb in the bucket, they will become intoxicated with the alcohol and fall in and drown. All you need to do in the morning is dispose of them. This type of trap only works within a short radius so this method is better reserved for gardeners working on small patches. You can also make similar traps using grape juice or water mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of yeast and a tablespoon of sugar.
Sprinkled crushed egg shell is another effective method of repelling the snails. Sprinkle them around vulnerable plants, as they will also be beneficial to the soil, as they contain plenty of calcium which will nourishes the soil. With their sharp edges, the shells will feel unpleasant under the snail’s soft bodies and they will avoid climbing on the plants protected by the shells.

Traps for Snails control:

Pheromone traps are other natural repellents that you can use. These are traps which attract and kill the moths with a sticky substance they cannot escape once they touch.

Diatomaceous Earth has a similar, yet more powerful effect against snails. Its sharp edges scrape through the snail’s protective mucus layer and skin, causing it discomfort. It does not cause the death of the snails, as it does with insects whose exoskeleton gets pierced, and they end up dying from dehydration, but it does cause a high level of discomfort, and you will see snails turning away from the place where they have encountered this powder.  To protect a plant from snails, dust its leaves with diatomaceous earth or sprinkle the material over the ground around vulnerable plants in a protective circle. Moisture renders this material ineffective, so reapply it after each rainfall, or every few days if conditions are humid, to achieve continuous control.

A lot of other organic deterrents can be used, such as powdered ginger, talcum powder, ashes from burnt wood or lime. Also mixtures made out of water and vinegar are an effective remedy to get rid of snails around your garden. You can set up a wooden board at night so the snails can accumulate underneath it and then, in the morning, spray them with a vinegar solution, which will kill them. You can also do this with inverted cabbage leaves, or inverted orange, grapefruit, or citrus rinds. As they are attracted to these, and will crawl under them to get away from the heat of the sun, you will be able to collect snails and dispose of them, while also replacing the traps with fresh ones.
A mix of water and salt can also be used against them, as snails are easily defeated by salt.  You can handpick them and throw them in a bucket full of salted water, or your can spray the mix onto them. however, be careful, as salt can also affect your plants and the composition of the soil. So it is better not to have it come in contact with your plants, as a salty soil can lead to the drying of your garden.
A coarse mulch of something like oak or cedar bark chippings makes a decorative and effective snail barrier. Organic mulches, while beneficial to the soil, harbour snails with food and moist shelter. A mulch of pine needles makes a prickly barrier to keep snails away from your plants. A barrier of ash and cinders helps keep snails at bay. The cinders are rough to cross, and the powdery ash also acts as a desiccant. Wood ash and cinders are preferable. Avoid their direct contact with plants. You can also create a sawdust barrier around vulnerable plants. If possible, use sawdust from hardwood because it’s sharper and more abrasive.

To protect pots of flowers, plants from your garden or even trees, you can also install copper bands which will keep these pests away. It will not be practical to apply copper around everything you have in your garden, but it is a good method to protect sensitive seedling beds or small containers with plants. You will, however, need to periodically clean it with vinegar, to make sure it still has a potent effect against snails. You can also stand your pots onto steel wood as snails do not like crawling over it.

Natural predators of snails

You can also encourage the development of their natural predators around your garden. Vertebrate predators of snails include shrews, mice, squirrels, and other small mammals such as salamanders, toads and turtles. You can also use the help of several types of birds against these pests, whether keeping chickens or ducks, if you have a yard, or encouraging other birds to visit your area, such as thrushes, grouse, blackbirds, and wild turkey.
A predatory snail called a Decollate snail (Rumina decollata) will feed on young snails and may be worth a try, but they also may nibble on young plants. It takes a little time to get an established group of Decollate snails, but many people have been pleased with the results. These snails are semi-tropical and don’t thrive in temperate or cold gardens; and in some places where they would thrive, they are banned as potentially invasive species. They are however, physically attractive snails, and when they do the work effectively for some gardeners, they should be encouraged to keep doing so. If you want to try these, make sure to avoid any kind of snail bait, organic or other, because it will affect these snails too.
When you find a slime trail, you can destroy the track so other snails do not follow it, as they will follow each others trail in order to reach a food source. There are certain plants that snails hate like the strong smell of mint, chives, garlic, geraniums, foxgloves and fennel. Plant them around the edge of your garden to keep these pests out.

Chemical pesticides against snails

Should you not be pleased with the results of these organic deterring methods, you can also choose to apply chemical baits. Most chemicals used against snails are based on metaldehyde. These products are toxic and can be dangerous for pets (dogs, cats, fish) especially because they resemble their granular food, which is why we recommend using the finest granular chemical baits when pets can be found in the area where the product is applied. The metaldehyde from the chemical products can rapidly dry the snail (it may lose half of its weight and its size can be reduced to one-third) in the case in which it gets poisoned by this substance. But if the degree of poisoning is not so high, snails infected can recover if they manage to hide in moist soil or if it rains, as their body will get cleansed by it. Another drawback is that after being dampened, Metaldehyde products no longer work, so that means every time you water, or it rains, you will need to re-apply it. Many chemical based baits work, but following the instructions on how to use them is mandatory and one must be extremely vigilant in how and where they are applied, as adverse effects must be avoided. Snail baits with Metaldehyde are sufficiently toxic that such baits are not recommended for use around edible vegetables, and can be harmful to dogs, cats, and fish.

After getting rid of an infestation of this sort, you will need to apply preventive measures as well, to make sure the snails do not have the possibility to grow again in a large number and take over your garden. Change the way you take care of your garden. Water your plants in the morning, instead of the late evening, as the earth will be sufficiently dried by the time night falls and the snails come out to eat. As they prefer a moist soil, as they travel on it better, this will make it much harder for them to get around and can significantly reduce their presence in your garden. Also till the soil in your garden frequently, especially around your plants and flower beds. This will kill any snail eggs and can help reduce the future snail population in your garden. Clear debris from under your plants, so snails cannot hide underneath them and apply any other preventive measures that can be found in our article ‘Prevent infestation with snails‘. These will help keep you garden clear of these pests, as prevention is the most important step in getting rid of any pest you might be dealing with.

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