I used to love snails but now that I have a garden...

Discussion in 'Plant Pests, Diseases and Weeds' started by flowerbudfall, Jun 6, 2009.

  1. flowerbudfall

    flowerbudfall New Seed

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    ...yeah, not so much.

    Any ideas on how to get rid of them without squashing them?

    They ate my tiger lilies! :scheming:

    I'm not happy about that.
     
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  3. Netty

    Netty Chaotic Gardener Plants Contributor

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    Slugs are easy to trap with a shallow bowl of beer. They crawl in there and drown so you will have to clean the traps and replace the beer frequently. It works!! Are you sure it is Snails eating your Lily's and not Lily Beetles?
     
  4. Guido

    Guido New Seed

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    Apparently sharp pieces of seashells scattered around your plants should help also. Still, I use chemicals to do the job.
     
  5. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Here's another way to deal with those pesky slugs and snails.

    If you are anything like me then you'll have ends of roofing felt rolls in your garden shed. Just the ordinary stuff you re-roofed that same shed with a few months ago remember?

    Cut a hole in the middle of a 6" square of the felt, just wide enough to fit round the plant stem. Now cut a sideways slit halfway across. This is so that you can slip the square, like a collar, around the plant.
    There are two reasons why this works to deter snails and slugs.

    1.) The surface is very rough and hurts their underbellies. Altogether now ..... aaawww poor wittle slugsies and snailses. LOL

    2.) They appear to hate the smell of the bitumen glue in the felt, especially on a warm summer's evening and they haven't cottoned on to clothes pegs on their noses yet!!!!!

    Natural slug and snail deterrents are always the best and, yes, horsehair also works a treat!!! Stables get rid of huge quantities every week so why not go and scrounge some from them?
    Place it in a 4" diameter ring around slug/snail susceptible plants and weigh down with stones. Ensure that the stones don't form a 'bridge' though for those slimey pests.

    Slugs and snails can't travel over horsehair because the hair is an irritant and the grease in it reacts with their slime and burns their bellies. Aaawww what a shame. (snigger)

    Have you ever seen a horse covered in snails or slugs? No!!! Well there you are then. LOL
     



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  6. daisybeans

    daisybeans Hardy Maple

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    Eileen, you're too funny!
    Good tips re: slugs too. Bet the felt would encourage the squirrels to bury nuts elsewhere too.
     
  7. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Very good Eileen, poor itty bitty snails and icky slugs. ;) I have been noticing more snails and slugs in the yard and holes in plant leaves, I don't have bits of roofing felt on hand but surely Lowe's carries some....sounds like a good mulch too.
     
  8. flowerbudfall

    flowerbudfall New Seed

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    you're too wonderful eileen

    Thanks so much for this tidbit of advice! You make a good point, I've never seen a horse covered in slugs or snails. *snigger and goes off to plot the snailses demise*

    -insert evil laughter here-
     

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