Help! I have snails.....

[sjasis]

lots of snails!!!! We've had alot of rain here, and they are all over my yard/garden/patio.

Aside from hand picking them off the plants (which grosses me out)... what else can I do to get rid of them? I tried the beer in a saucer, but didn't get any takers - even though I used good stuff LOL!!!

Any advice from my gardener friends?

[Andy P]

Welcome to snail country, lol. I have them all over all the time. I never saw so many until I moved th this house.
You can sprinkle salt around the deck but not in the garden.
What's yucky about them, grab it by the shell and toss it away while yelling escargot.

[Bebop]

I don't have many snails. Slugs are my enemy. I use Sluggo which you can probably get at Lowes or Home Depot. I get it at Agway. It is for both slugs and snails. There is also a product which is the same stuff called Escar-Go. These are probably what Dasia is talking about. Apparently, it is not bad for the soil. It is organic and just breaks down. All the "organically correct" sources recommend it.

[thymewarp13]

I have to deal with slugs and don't think I've ever actually seen a snail except in pictures (and at a French restaurant). Of course whether it has a shell or not, they both do the same kind of damage. I also feel comfortable using Sluggo and feel that it does a good job. I have previously used Escar-Go with what I recall to be equal success.

I also had success with the beer method, but didn't like handling the dead snails after their imbibing. The 'pellets' are a much neater method of dealing with the problem in my opinion.

Good luck. As Dasia mentioned, at least you got a very nice macro shot. No one ever wants to look at my yucky slug pics, and frankly I don't blame them.

[thymewarp13]

Just checked my garden supplies and see that what I've currently got is 'Slug Magic': "Makes Slugs Disappear". It's made by Bonide and its active ingredient is 1.0% Iron phosphate, with 99.0% unnamed inert ingredients. The label states that it can be used around pets and wildlife around vegetables, gardens, shrubs, flowers, greenhouses, etc. up to and including day of harvest.

I do try to avoid all use of chemicals in the garden trying to err on the side of caution. I consider use of this product a last resort even though it's supposed to be safe for critters.

[sjasis]

Thanks all for your advice and suggestions - I will try the Sluggo or the Escar-Go, whichever I can find locally.

[GTO]

this is a bumper crop for me too...hand picking is best..use a glove

some of my friends spray their plants (late April - early May) with a 10% ammonia solution...some sprinkle salt on them as the see them

I use fireplace ash and sprinkle it around the plants. esp. my hostas, they don't care for the the texture of the ash

here's a good link
http://www.baag.com.au/fsg_saferspraying.html

[GTO]

take caution with any of those slug baits and read the instructions carefully esp. if you have pets

[thymewarp13]

You sure do seem to have a bumper crop. Interesting pictures. They really are attractive.

[sjasis]

wow, you really have a bumper crop there, Louie! I haven't seen THAT many here - thank goodness :)

[Boing Boing]

Cook 'em. The French would.

[Paul Molyneux]

Non, monsieur. Not this kind.

[Keith]

How about trading some of the snails everyone has for our Bear? ;-)

I hadn't thought of "Salt" as a solution. I do think, however Susan's use of Beer in a Saucer is a great idea, how about a stein for the Bear watcher, and just let the Bear own his mountain...