Thanks for the great ideas Mart, Featherphobia :-D ... I was thinking of using copper because when I googled for a home remedy and checking my resources copper seems to be a good solution. I have plenty of old copper wires waiting to go to the recycling center .... err!! not really plenty but enough to surround the bed with it. Beer is not an option because I don't drink and I hate to get rid of the snails after they drown and in beer YUCKS!!!... sorry. This morning I managed to crush one close to the romaine bed and it felt YIKEES!!! Having to get rid of the crushed slug after that was really gross!! Have anybody tried copper or have any other remedy that does not involve having to get rid of the dead critter?
Well, if it were me, I would use the beer and after a two or three days just dig a hole about three inches deep and dump them in and throw dirt back on top. Let them critters be fertilizer as well as the beer .
OK Mart, I am considering. The second batch of romaine just sprouted and they are now in the starter pots.
OK I am now back at where my first batch of romaine was brutally devaoured by pesky snails. The second batch is now in the bed under the tree. Instead of just having one bed now I have two beds and they are like fifty feet apart but both are protected from the piercing sun that is under two different trees. Bed 1 new Romaine Lettuce ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Bed 2 from first batch. Romaine Lettuce ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Every night I'll check the beds for snails and is keeping my finger crossed that this second batch is not going to suffer the same fate as the first batch. I decided on this because I had been checking the beds since the first batch was attacked up to now and managed to annihilate just a couple of them. I guess it is not a big problem if I watch over them.
I crush garlic and put it in a spray bottle with water. I spray it directly on my plants and around them. It seems to work because I haven't had many problems with insects this year.
Thanks Bunkie, ChocoLatte but I'm sorry I am going to be a stubborn oldie and just use a torch light and my big fat foot!!! hehe!! I also did a lot of house keeping in my mini-farm to rid of all possible area where snails can hide during the day and there were non of them. :-D Bunkie thanks for keeping your finger crossed for me, really appreciate it. :-D Just checked the beds and all is well!!
I was busy making sausages the whole day yesterday and had an early night because I was really exhausted. Today did lots of running around and also took my mum to the dentist. Got back home late in the evening and found that 5 of the romaine is gone, yes gone!! Arrguhhhh!!!! OK I deserve it, go ahead and say "I TOLD YOU SO" Managed to get some wire mesh and a large iron thingy to make a barrier around the bed. I am basing on my own evaluation that snails cannot climb wire meshing right? Will put up a photo tomorrow.
KK, if you can find one of the little beasties, try sprinkling a mix of 50/50 flour and baking soda around it and see what happens. Do they ignore it and crawl through it or do they avoid it. Many insects are repelled by baking soda, and I am thinking that the slime from a slug + flour make glue that will stick on them and perhaps make them immobile.
My goodness KK you are having a hard time keeping your babies going.slugs melt in salt.Just don't get it in your plants and take the box and go around the trays.I think it would stop them.
OK here is the photo of the emergency fencing which I put in a jiff I know it is kind of a slip-shot but I made sure that the base and joints were secure and yet lost another 2 seedlings last night. :-x A emergency cage ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Today I borrowed a lenght of wire mesh and decent up the enclosure making sure that it is very secure against creepy crawlies especially snails. I am very sure snails cannot climb wire mesh right? Amore decent cage ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Great idea Mart, but I cannot find any snails around for the experiment so I guess I have to depend on the fencing. Thanks Bunkie, I really do hope the wire mesh work too .... maybe it is not snails something else I am wondering....... Yes I did thought of salt Glendann but of work is needed to prevent the salt from getting into the soil. Like Mart says it would kill anything close to it. If still there are missing seedlings tomorrow, I would like to look from a different point of view about the culprit that had been stealing the romaine seedlings. I would believe that it either can fly, climb or burrow from underground. Unless the snails had some training in climbing wire mesh or some kind of help, I would say it is not snails. Any ideas???
For one thing the wire mesh you are using has holes big enough that they can crawl through. You need the mesh that is commonly used here for screen windows and doors. If you sprinkle the flour /soda mixture around your fencing, or even just plain flour you can tell if its a crawling insect like a snail or slug. They will leave a trail through it where the flour is gone and you should be able to see the slime as kind of shiny on the soil.
I lost another last night. Are they really that small?? The are like ½ by ¼ inches ..... when clearing up the surrounding area I did not come across any snails that were that tiny or I was not able to see them ....hmmmm........... Mart that is a great suggestion and I am going to try it tonight.
