How To Deal With Pesky Garden Pest Snails

Snails are an interesting species to many individuals

. However, the interest stops once these pests find their way into a well groomed garden. This almost always happens to some extent as these slow moving creatures are always on the prowl for a good meal. The snail as a pest is a terrible thing. They can kill young plants by chewing their stem or eating the seeds before they finish germinating. They will eat irregular holes in leaves and this can lead to rapid browning. A single snail can do massive damage to a single plant in even the space of one night.

They have their uses in nature, just like any other creature. However, they are garden pests of the highest caliber and must be dealt with swiftly and decisively. Snails hone in on a single location and live there until it must move or it is eaten. Ridding a garden of this pest is a necessity.

There are two ways to manage this feat. The first method is organic and the second method simply requires the gardener to scatter chemical pellets. Either method works well.

The organic method of removing these little slimy creatures from a garden actually comes in many forms. Snails primarily come out at night as the sun can dry them out. While it is common to see a few during the day, these snails are mostly seeking a cooler place to rest. The first way to remove a snail will be the simplest. When night has come the gardener must go outside with a flashlight and manually look for these invading pests around the plants they have been chewing on. If they discover the snails they can then pick them up and either move them to a distant part of their yard or they can destroy them by stepping on them or drowning them.

The drowning concept can be made to work as a slug and snail trap as well. The gardener can dig a hole near their vulnerable plant and place a saucer of milk or beer into the hole. The savvy gardener will make certain the lip of the saucer is a bit above ground level to keep beetles from falling in too. Ground beetles eat snails and they comprise one of the other methods of keeping the snail population down. Natural predators of snails such as toads, ground beetles, thrushes, and similar animals should be made to feel welcome in the garden to keep snails away naturally.

by: Derek Farley

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