Topic: Snails

[Jak]

Anyone else suffering from a plague of tiny snails - some barely bigger than a pinhead?  I've never seen so many! :o :(

They are decimating anything that is still flowering in my garden, including dahlias, echinacea and rudbeckia. First they eat the flowers and then move on to the leaves.  I go round regularly squishing them, but there never seems to be any fewer and because they are so tiny they are very hard to spot.  :'(

Any ideas for anything else I can do - I am not organic, but try not to use any chemicals unless I feel I've no alternative. ???

Jak

[aquilegia]

I'm organic and am learning (sort of) to tolerate snails. I squish any I find. Have a torch-light hunt at night, that's when they usually come out in force. Or after a shower. Also look out for likely hiding places and check those regularly (in the summer I checked them twice and day and got rid of loads!). Also encourage hedgehogs, frogs and toads, with water and food. You can also try circles of crushed egg shells or sharp gravel/sand around the suseptible plants or copper tape. I keep meaning to try rings cut from a plastic bottle smeared with vaseline - the theory being they won't be able to get a grip on it to climb over.

[Sarah-b]

I'm thinking about eating mine. That will really serve them right!!

[Doris_Pinks]

Sarah, don't forget to feed them on bran for a few days first!! ;D  ;D

[Jak]

You'd need to eat an awful lot of the snails in my garden before you'd notice you'd eaten anything ... they are that tiny!  :o

Thank you both for answering  - I suppose basically I just wanted to know if anyone else has experienced more snails than normal.  :'(

I do go round on a daily basis collecting them all up, I put them in a plastic bag, squish the bag and then put it in the dustbin.  I found they kept escaping from buckets of soapy or salted water, when my back was turned! >:(   This way I can just loosely tie the top of the bag if I need to interupt the 'hunt' and they can't escape, I whack the bag hard against the wall as well for good measure! (Gosh dont the little beggars bring out the worst in some people! :o).  From my front garden they are lobbed onto the busy road, where I reckon that way they have a fighting chance(???) - if they can make it back to the garden before a car comes then they live to fight another day!  

In the past this regular collection with the help of numerous toads and birds has kept them at manageable levels, it's just that never before have I been this plagued and by such teeny weeny ones. :'(

Jak

[sandersj89]

It may be down to the warm wet weather we have had this autumn so far. Not enough frosts hard enough to stop them breeding.

Jerry

[Hugh_Jones]

Years ago we had several thrushes in the garden, and hardly ever saw a snail.  Now the thrushes have virtually disappeared and are in decline almost everywhere, and the snails are becoming a nuisance.  Cause and effect ?

[aquilegia]

Hugh - it's so said the effect we've (as in humans) unwittingly had on the environment. Nature is such a delicate balance, chaos ensues when you start messing with it.  >:(

[Wicker]

While browsing this thread it struck me that I was never really sure about the difference between slugs and snails - (is it just the shell? ???) so decided to google and see what I could find.  Came up with this site - very informative but I think the male of the species (MAN that is!!) should avoid reading the section on Reproduction of the Greater Garden Slug :o :o  ;D

http://www.arnobrosi.com/slugbio.html

Never look at them in the same light again and still don't see that they serve any useful purpose  :-\

[Roy Bham UK]

Oohwi Goowi lets get chewy eeeek! stomach churning stuff Megan :o :P

[Sarah-b]

Years ago there was a film on general release called Microcosmos or something like that. It was amazing natural history footage set to music. The photography was beautiful. The love scene of the snails should probably have been given some kind of x-rating. It would definitely not have been allowed if they were humans!

[Sarah-b]

In fact - here it is - only 4.97 :
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00009KOY2/ref=br_lf_d_h__11/202-3022810-1631850

[djbrenton]

I wonder if these really work.

http://www.greenharmonyltd.co.uk/htmlfiles/ghmolluscgo.htm

They all seem too good to be true but I'm very tempted to try the Gardenbuggo and Molluscgo next year.

[Jak]

Mmmm? :-\  Does seem rather too good, but at least it wont break the bank to try it out.  I like the line ... "if after 7 weeks trial you feel the device has not reduced your pest problem compared with neighbouring gardens....." - 100 feet area would include my neighbours' gardens, perhaps I should ask them to chip in! :o ;D

I like the recycling offer too! :)  Will give it some serious consideration, after all what harm can it do? ???

Jak

[aquilegia]

Sarah - that was on Discovery last weekend. The film was truly amazing and beautiful. And it didn't make me feel itchy like watching insects used to! I totally agree about the snail love scene.  :o