Author Topic: How to kill a snail (and not by drowning!) (Read 4525 times)

carosanto · « **on:** July 23, 2009, 20:34:07 »

Hi Y'all

I have no garden at all (my lottie is my garden), but have a small decking patio with lots of pots. It has been absolute carnage this past 10 days as we have had rain every single day (Cornwall again). Snails and slugs rule, despite pellets.

So I have taken to a nightly collection (s*d what the neighbours say about the strange woman next door creeping round with a torch!) gathered them together and drowned them in a shallow container of water. Next day, nothing, and since we have a frog I thought he was doing a nightly cleaning up job. The slugs at least, I knew were dead.

Today we had the mother of all showers, I went out after picked up 7 snails and chucked them in the pan of water, only to see them all hoisting themselves out later and making a run for it!

Help!! These are the undead of snails, they keep coming back to life even tho I keep on drowning em. Don't want to crunch them (ugh), once thrown into the field they come back - obviously homing snails - please what can I do?

Regards Caro

Hector · « **Reply #1 on:** July 23, 2009, 20:36:13 »

My Dad told me that you had to drive further than 4 miles to prevent homing...he did have an odd sense of humour though :)

manicscousers · « **Reply #2 on:** July 23, 2009, 20:36:42 »

stick some salt in your bucket of water..they float over to the side of our water butts, I've watched them :o :)

thifasmom · « **Reply #3 on:** July 23, 2009, 21:24:46 »

yep i second salt water for drowning.

Borlotti · « **Reply #4 on:** July 23, 2009, 21:50:17 »

Jump and down on them.

Eristic · « **Reply #5 on:** July 23, 2009, 22:13:53 »

Code: [Select]

Jump and down on them.
Works for me. 8)

asbean · « **Reply #6 on:** July 23, 2009, 22:24:14 »

Don't need to jump, just stamp your foot! :o :o :o :o

muddylou · « **Reply #7 on:** July 23, 2009, 22:32:45 »

I just throw them at the fence, baseball style, I might try the "Freddie" bowl and see if I can get some swing. ;)

saddad · « **Reply #8 on:** July 23, 2009, 23:38:39 »

I favour the gratuitous violence as well.... :-X

Al37 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 23, 2009, 23:52:19 »

All you do is build a snail island
1 brick
1 washing up bowl
Some water
Put the brick in the bowl, fill with water almost to the top of the brick.
Place said snails on the brick and watch the blackbirds and thrushes etc have a good fead. ;)

thifasmom · « **Reply #10 on:** July 24, 2009, 00:34:54 »

Quote from: Al37 on July 23, 2009, 23:52:19

All you do is build a snail island
1 brick
1 washing up bowl
Some water
Put the brick in the bowl, fill with water almost to the top of the brick.
Place said snails on the brick and watch the blackbirds and thrushes etc have a good fead. ;)

this doesn't always work when i have done this i have seen some snails take the short swim to try and get away :-\. determine little buggers they are >:(.

THE MASTER · « **Reply #11 on:** July 24, 2009, 00:56:47 »

i prefure the quick kill i dont like to see any animal suffer.

i like to dance and bill halley and my size 12 boots sorts then out very quickly .

lets twist again . i do get a bit dizzy somthimes with all that spinning around

Pesky Wabbit · « **Reply #12 on:** July 24, 2009, 01:46:45 »

Skewer them and leave on a slab for the birds.

Ishard · « **Reply #13 on:** July 24, 2009, 05:03:57 »

I gently crush the shells and throw them to my fish, they love 'em. ;D

lavenderlux · « **Reply #14 on:** July 24, 2009, 06:58:36 »

Do you know anyone who has chickens? Whenever I find snails on my plot I put them in a jar with a lid and before I go home feed them to a neighbouring plot holders chickens - they love them!

jokey · « **Reply #15 on:** July 24, 2009, 11:03:37 »

i drown them in bitter, cheap cans. i'm a lager drinker ;)

carosanto · « **Reply #16 on:** July 24, 2009, 12:39:54 »

Hi Y'All

Thanks for your responses. I should have said that a Riverdance on them is not on as we only have decking which won't be enhanced by crushed snail corpses (and as I am often in bare feet.......). I am intrigued by the'snail island' if only I could stop the critturs getting to the side of my shallow water container and hoofing it over the side (honest - I watched 'em do it 3 TIMES yesterday. OMG THEY SWIM!!!)

I will try salt water, tho and let you know how I get on- got 10 more this morning, destined for the field (they can also FLY lol), and my overarm swing is improving daily. (Bet the bu**ers) simply turned about and headed back for dindins!).

Regards, Caro

small · « **Reply #17 on:** July 24, 2009, 21:15:21 »

I cut them in half with secateurs. I tell myself it's because it is a quick death, but I suspect I am displacing something. ;D

Georgie · « **Reply #18 on:** July 25, 2009, 10:59:08 »

I think using salt is a very cruel and slow death. I use near boiling water if I have to kill 'em and it's as quick as the other, more violent, methods mentioned above.

G x

petengade · « **Reply #19 on:** July 25, 2009, 11:50:29 »

Get French students they love them ;D

News:

Author Topic: How to kill a snail (and not by drowning!) (Read 4525 times)