Currently, thanks to both the weather, types of plants in my garden and partly the neighbours ambivalent attitude to snails... My garden is swarming with them. And, I can't seem to cut the numbers down either.

My only real success has been going around with a bucket collecting them. I also tried copper wire around the base of some trees as I head they won't cross copper, well they seem to still be getting over the wire anyway. Perhaps I need thicker wire? I also have this snail killer that aparently doesn't cause bio accumulation, but I haven't found a single dead snails where I put it down (although I don't find so much dammage from them when it's around plants).

I'm getting quite desperate as they have stripped about 5 small plants I really liked of all foliage and killed them, and they're fast turning my three very hard to find white wisteria vines (allready slightly dammaged from the heat wave) in to expencive salad...

So, if anyone has some suggestions (even really strange ones...) please share them,
Bry

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 12:00:13 GMT, Bry
wrote:

Currently, thanks to both the weather, types of plants in my garden and
partly the neighbours ambivalent attitude to snails... My garden is
swarming with them. And, I can't seem to cut the numbers down either.

My only real success has been going around with a bucket collecting
them. I also tried copper wire around the base of some trees as I head
they won't cross copper, well they seem to still be getting over the
wire anyway. Perhaps I need thicker wire? I also have this snail killer
that aparently doesn't cause bio accumulation, but I haven't found a
single dead snails where I put it down (although I don't find so much
dammage from them when it's around plants).

I'm getting quite desperate as they have stripped about 5 small plants
I really liked of all foliage and killed them, and they're fast turning
my three very hard to find white wisteria vines (allready slightly
dammaged from the heat wave) in to expencive salad...

So, if anyone has some suggestions (even really strange ones...) please
share them,

Just keep up with the bucket method.
I've found this makes a very serious dent in the population, though it
takes a week or so of poking round the borders at night before you
start to notice a real fall-off in snail ( and slug ) damage.
Thereafter, once a week seems to keep on top of the problem.

I've not found anything that will effectively deter them... from
eggshells to grit, and poisoning the buggers just adds to the problem
in the long term.

You could try putting in a few sacrificial plants.. this can draw the
snails off your prized specimens. Providing some shelter is another
good bet...this will also encourage predators such as ground
beetles... curved tiles are excellent for this. If you lift the tiles
from time to time you can pick up the slugs and snails that have taken
refuge there.

Apart from that, take steps to encourage more predators into your
garden.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

The message m
from Bry contains these words:

So, if anyone has some suggestions (even really strange ones...) please
share them,

Slug pellets.

They were at my chillis, and one application of a few pellets round each
plant killed about ten per plant.

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

"Bry" wrote in message
s.com...
Currently, thanks to both the weather, types of plants in my garden and
partly the neighbours ambivalent attitude to snails... My garden is
swarming with them. And, I can't seem to cut the numbers down either.

My only real success has been going around with a bucket collecting
them. I also tried copper wire around the base of some trees as I head
they won't cross copper, well they seem to still be getting over the
wire anyway. Perhaps I need thicker wire? I also have this snail killer
that aparently doesn't cause bio accumulation, but I haven't found a
single dead snails where I put it down (although I don't find so much
dammage from them when it's around plants).

I'm getting quite desperate as they have stripped about 5 small plants
I really liked of all foliage and killed them, and they're fast turning
my three very hard to find white wisteria vines (allready slightly
dammaged from the heat wave) in to expencive salad...

So, if anyone has some suggestions (even really strange ones...) please
share them,

Metaldehyde slug pellets is the only way of guaranteeably getting rid of
snails and slugs.
Everything else is just playing with the problem, whatever some folk might
say about their use.

Franz

I saw this on a tv programme about inventions. The man had got some metal and was passing current through it. everytime the snail touches the metal it gets an electric shock and does not go over the metal.

Maybe you could try making somehting allong those line. Like a bare wire running around the plants connected to a low voltage battery. Dont know if it will work though.

The message
from Stephen Howard contains these words:

/snip/

Apart from that, take steps to encourage more predators into your
garden.

Our local friendly Big Cat eschews snails and slugs. It/they prefer rabbits.

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Bry wrote:

Currently, thanks to both the weather, types of plants in my garden and
partly the neighbours ambivalent attitude to snails... My garden is
swarming with them. And, I can't seem to cut the numbers down either.

My only real success has been going around with a bucket collecting
them. I also tried copper wire around the base of some trees as I head
they won't cross copper, well they seem to still be getting over the
wire anyway. Perhaps I need thicker wire? I also have this snail killer
that aparently doesn't cause bio accumulation, but I haven't found a
single dead snails where I put it down (although I don't find so much
dammage from them when it's around plants).

I'm getting quite desperate as they have stripped about 5 small plants
I really liked of all foliage and killed them, and they're fast turning
my three very hard to find white wisteria vines (allready slightly
dammaged from the heat wave) in to expencive salad...

So, if anyone has some suggestions (even really strange ones...) please
share them,
Bry
--
Bry
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

Beer in sunken margerine tubs.

The best long-term solution is predators that eat snails (and slugs) -
Song Thrushes, Hedgehogs, Toads, Slow Worms, Glow Worms (if you're in
the right part of the country), etc.

We are very little troubled by snails (or slugs) and even have hostas
growing happily with very minimal damage. Neither do we use any chemical
control - hedgehogs, frogs, toads and Song Thrushes (and other birds)
probably account for most and it's great fun having all the wild life in
the garden. We can also eat all the garden veg without having to worry
about snail and slug poisons.

And remember, one of the main predators of all those small grey slugs
which do so much damage are the very large black slugs.
--
Larry Stoter

And remember, one of the main predators of all those small grey slugs
which do so much damage are the very large black slugs.
--
Larry Stoter

should we encourage the large black ones then? I normally chop them as the
birds wont touch them.

oldswan wrote:

And remember, one of the main predators of all those small grey slugs
which do so much damage are the very large black slugs.
--
Larry Stoter

should we encourage the large black ones then? I normally chop them as the
birds wont touch them.

Not sure there is anything you can do to encourage them but killing them
will probably lead to an increase in the numbers of small grey slugs!
--
Larry Stoter

The message k
from (Larry Stoter) contains these words:

Beer in sunken margerine tubs.

Nah. They bring all their friends for a knees-up.

The best long-term solution is predators that eat snails (and slugs) -
Song Thrushes, Hedgehogs, Toads, Slow Worms, Glow Worms (if you're in
the right part of the country), etc.

Glow Worms?

We are very little troubled by snails (or slugs) and even have hostas
growing happily with very minimal damage. Neither do we use any chemical
control - hedgehogs, frogs, toads and Song Thrushes (and other birds)
probably account for most and it's great fun having all the wild life in
the garden. We can also eat all the garden veg without having to worry
about snail and slug poisons.

You don't have to worry if you use them sensibly. There is a dearth of
thrushes here, and I've only seen one hedgehog (or his flatmate) since I
moved in here. Plenty of frogs, newts and toads, but they just can't
cope, and they don't seem to like the crusty gasteropod pies, wot have
to be seen to be believed. Thrushes done a runner causing that.

And remember, one of the main predators of all those small grey slugs
which do so much damage are the very large black slugs.

Not seen one of those in the garden not never not nohow.

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Subject: How do you get rid of snails?


We eats the tasty little beggars over ere!

Phil (France)

Well, there's a use that didn't occour to me? LOL. However, I don't think they're the type you eat? Right now I'm putting the collected ones on the bird table where they make a very popular snack for the crows and pidgens.

Anyway, thank you to everyone who replyed, I now have quite a few good ideas to try. One of them, or a combination of several should eventually solve the problem.

Subject: How do you get rid of snails?
From: iljunk (Pen Phill)
Date: 29/09/2003 22:53 GMT Daylight Time
Message-id:

Subject: How do you get rid of snails?


We eats the tasty little beggars over ere!


Is that a cue for someone to repost the link for slug fritters?
****************************
Rhiannon
http://www.livejournal.com/users/rhiannon_s/
Q: how many witches does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: depends on what you want it changed into!

The message
from iljunk (Pen Phill) contains these words:

Subject: How do you get rid of snails?


We eats the tasty little beggars over ere!

Yes, but only up to a certain age, or they are like garlic-flavoured
indiarubber.

What do you do with the old ones?

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

The message m
from Bry contains these words:

We eats the tasty little beggars over ere!

Phil (France) *

Well, there's a use that didn't occour to me? LOL. However, I don't
think they're the type you eat? Right now I'm putting the collected
ones on the bird table where they make a very popular snack for the
crows and pidgens.

No, they're not the Roman snail, but I don't think there's any reason
why you shouldn't eat our varieties. If you get them young enough.

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm