Environmentally friendly ways to murder snails .... kindly

Forums: Pets And Garden, Gardening, Snails, Non Poisonous Snail Treatment
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No, this is not a joke thread. Very Happy

Though The title may suggest that to you ...

No, I want to remove snails from my garden without the use of poisons.

It has been raining & raining here in Melbourne & my garden has loved it! Spring! Very Happy

BUT, the snails have loved it too - all those new shoots to nibble! Annoying little buggers - I've just been outside to survey the damage & I AM NOT PLEASED! Evil or Very Mad

So, dear gardeners, what are your tried & true methods of removing these little devils without using products containing poison? And without using methods that churn one's stomach. (I don't mind collecting them at night, with a torch, but what to do with them then? Confused

)
At times like this I wish I had chickens, or ducks!

`

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Quote:

At times like this I wish I had chickens, or ducks!

Is that not an option, msolga?

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Im surprised youve never heard of this one ms.
You get some beer. Fortunately , in Oz, they sell beer cans that are really drums.

Empty beer drum into a steep sided can or pan.

Lean pieces of firring strips or slices of wood clapboard so that the snails (and slugs) can climb up the pathways.
It helps to soak the strips in the beer cause snails love the odor. Dont ask how they smell, maybe through their little stalks.

they walk up the strips and goo into the pan with the beer

There , they soon drown

dont worry, their screams are rather high pitched so they shouldnt bother you if you keep windows open.

Im here to help, its what I do.

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Not really, Gus. An inner-suburban yard, with probably not enough room for a shelter for them. Besides, the council would probably receive 75 objections from the neighbors! (We have to get council permission for chooks here.)
But, I have to admit, the thought of a little duck waddling around & feasting on snails is very appealing. Very Happy

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We always used beer. It's sad to find their little carcasses in the morning, but if you're serious, I'd use that route.

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SLUGS
msolga : any sharp-grained stuff (wood ashes, gritty sand) will help in controlling slugs. i use diametaceus earth (spelling ?). when the slugs come out to feed in the evening i'll go out with a flashlight and start looking for those critters and give them a good dose of the diam. earth. it pierces their skin and it's bye, bye slugs. used it this summer to get rid of ants around the perimeter of the house; they were beginning to invade the house, so had to put a protective barrier around the house(i leave them alone if they are just in the garden and stay there).hbg. >>>THE SLUG KILLER

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I usually just sink old margarine tubs into the ground. Then I fill them with beer. It serves two purposes. 1. Effectively kills the slugs -- the following morning the slimy miscreants will be floating on the surface, little satisfied slug smiles etched on their faces. 2.) When I'm crawling home from the bar, and I pass one of those margarine tubs, I'll lay down on the cool grass and slurp up the contents, slugs and all.

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farmerman wrote:

...they walk up the strips and goo into the pan with the beer

There , they soon drown

dont worry, their screams are rather high pitched so they shouldnt bother you if you keep windows open.

Im here to help, its what I do.

Thanks farmerman! I'm gonna try that! It sure beats being stuck with a bucketful of crawling snails in the moonlight & wondering what the hell to do with them! Shocked

And I'm relieved about the inaudible high pitched screams, too! Laughing

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i'm with gustav when it comes to beer - think of how happy they are entering slug heaven . hbg

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Quote:

But, I have to admit, the thought of a little duck waddling around & feasting on snails is very appealing.

I think I have a solution. Get a dark-colored duck. Sever its vocal chords. Then, hide him in the basement during the day. At night, release the duck. It will be like a small snail-eating shadow, drifting quietly around the yard, gobbling up snails like popcorn. And the neighbors will never know.

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gustavratzenhofer wrote:

Quote:
At times like this I wish I had chickens, or ducks!

I wish I had ostriches!!!

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hamburger

Thanks for your tips & the link. I've saved it & will read fully later.. Diametaceus earth? That's new to me. I certainly like the idea of controlling ants in summer, too! Very interesting.

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gustavratzenhofer wrote:

I usually just sink old margarine tubs into the ground. Then I fill them with beer. It serves two purposes. 1. Effectively kills the slugs -- the following morning the slimy miscreants will be floating on the surface, little satisfied slug smiles etched on their faces. 2.) When I'm crawling home from the bar, and I pass one of those margarine tubs, I'll lay down on the cool grass and slurp up the contents, slugs and all.

Gus, oh what can I say to that? Point (2) I mean ... Shocked

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Thanks littlek .... Yep, beer it's gonna be! I guess their little corpses could be dug into the garden?
Now I'm wondering WHICH Oz beer? VB, Redback, Cascade, lite or full strength ..? :wink: And I like the idea of them dying happily! Very Happy

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msolga. If I find out that you have been GIVING Redback beer away for FREE to snails, you are in so much trouble!!!

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gustavratzenhofer wrote:

Quote:
But, I have to admit, the thought of a little duck waddling around & feasting on snails is very appealing.

I think I have a solution. Get a dark-colored duck. Sever its vocal chords. Then, hide him in the basement during the day. At night, release the duck. It will be like a small snail-eating shadow, drifting quietly around the yard, gobbling up snails like popcorn. And the neighbors will never know.

Thanks for that suggestion, Gus. But beer sounds kinder by far! Very Happy

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Mr Stillwater wrote:

msolga. If I find out that you have been GIVING Redback beer away for FREE to snails, you are in so much trouble!!!

Nah, Mr S, I've decided the Redback would be for ME to indulge in, while baiting the snails with VB, or XXX (?), or some other lowly brew. That way we all have fun!

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If someone would have told me years ago that someday, on a Saturday night, I would be talking about drowning snails with an Australian woman I would've looked at them and said, "Cool!"

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Ah, Gus, life is strange sometimes ..... Laughing

It's Saturday NIGHT for you? I thought your time was behind Oz time? It's heading for Saturday midday here.

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Oops. Got my days wrong. Friday night.

They're all the same anyways.

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Environmentally friendly ways to murder snails .... kindly

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