Garden snails are kissing cousins to the nefarious slug that also terrorizes gardens. The common garden snail will chew through the tender leaves of plants, which at best, looks unsightly, and at worst, will kill the plant. If these little buggers have had you asking yourself, "How to control garden snails?" then you are at the right place. We will be looking at effective snail repellents and organic snail control.
What is the Common Garden Snail?
Chances are, if you have snails in your garden, they're the common garden snail, also called the brown garden snail. The scientific name is Helix aspersa. The common garden snail can be identified by its brown rounded shell and grey body.
How to Control Garden Snails
Here are the most common methods for getting rid of snails in the garden:
Introduce predators - One effective organic snail control is to introduce or encourage predators. Make your garden friendly to small snakes, like the garter snake. These snakes enjoy eating garden snails as well as other common garden pests. You can also introduce decollate snails to your garden. Decollate snails will not harm your plants but will eat the common garden snail.
Lay down grit - Many gritty substances make effective snail repellents. Gritty substances will cut the body of the snail, which will lead to it being injured. Crushed eggshells, sand or diatomaceous earth sprinkled around plants that the garden snails seem to prefer will deter and eventually kill these pests.
Set out traps - A common snail trap is the beer pan. Simply fill a shallow pan with beer and leave it out overnight. The snails will be attracted to the beer and will drown in it. The beer will need to replaced every few days to remain effective.
Make Hiding Spots - Another trap is to find a flat object than can provide a dark, cool, moist location. Snails love dark, cool, moist areas. You can use a board, a piece of carpet, or thick cloth to create this environment. Water an area, then lay the object down over the damp area. Return in a few days and pick up the object. You can harvest and destroy the hiding snails.
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Create Barriers - Among effective snail repellents is barriers. This organic snail control means putting something in the path of the snails that they do not like. Copper wire, Vaseline, even just mesh curved outwards will help repel garden snails from your plants.
Now that you know more about how to control garden snails in your garden with these effective snail repellents and organic snail control, you can make sure that those slimy little buggers never bother your plants again.
FAQs
Coarse substances like ground-up eggshells, sandpaper, and lava rock will provide an effective barrier for snails. You can also get rid of snails with coffee grounds. Research has found that a 1-2% caffeine solution will kill snails, while coffee grounds will simply form a barrier snails do not like to cross.
How to get rid of snail infestation in garden? ›
Coarse substances like ground-up eggshells, sandpaper, and lava rock will provide an effective barrier for snails. You can also get rid of snails with coffee grounds. Research has found that a 1-2% caffeine solution will kill snails, while coffee grounds will simply form a barrier snails do not like to cross.
What is the best pesticide for snails? ›
Metaldehyde: Metaldehyde-based products have been used to kill slugs and snails for more than 40 years. Fast-acting and highly effective, these products cause slugs and snails to lose moisture rapidly and die.
What chemical will you use to control snails? ›
Metaldehyde products are formulated as pellets and are recommended for both slug and snail control.
How to get rid of snails permanently? ›
Here are five ways to get rid of snails in your garden:
- Remove snails by hand.
- Create barriers using irritating materials such as abrasive gravel, sharp eggshell fragments, diatomaceous earth, or rough wood chips.
- Add fencing.
- Clear ground cover.
- Create a beer trap.
In one study, coffee grounds were found to reduce the number of snails by up to 50%. In another study, coffee has shown to reduce the number of slugs by up to 90%. Overall, coffee grounds are a safe and effective way to deter snails and other pests.
What kills snails fast? ›
Diatomaceous Earth
This powder targets mollusks like snails and slugs by getting into their joints and under their shells, causing them to dehydrate and die. Sprinkling diatomaceous earth around your garden forms a protective barrier, deterring these pests without damaging your plants.
What kills snails naturally? ›
How do I get rid of small snails in the garden? There's also the option of Diatomaceous Earth. It's a fine powder made of dried algae that's completely organic if you get the food grade kind. The way it works is that the tiny jagged edges of the powdery diatom pierces the body of the snail and they dehydrate and die.
Do coffee grounds deter snails? ›
Coffee grounds have been recommended in the past as an organic method to keep slugs and snails out of your flower and vegetable beds.
How to stop snails from eating plants? ›
How to stop slugs and snails: what works?
- crushed eggshells.
- pine bark mulch.
- copper tape.
- sharp horticultural grit.
- wool pellets.
First things first, head down the path of aromatic plants, Herbs like mint, sage, thyme, basil, parsley and rosemary are great repellents because slugs and snails don't like strong scents.
What kills slugs instantly? ›
Pouring salt on a slug will kill it in a matter of seconds, however, it generally takes quite a bit of salt to do so. The salt kills the slug through osmosis – it draws water from inside the slug and rapidly dehydrates it.
Does Epsom salt keep snails away? ›
Banish Pests—Especially Slugs and Snails
Try Epsom salt. To get rid of snails and slugs, sprinkle a ring of Epsom salt around the base of your plants. To get rid of other pests, spray the foliage with a mixture of 1 cup Epsom salts per 5 gallons of water.
What liquid kills snails? ›
Bleach, hydrogen peroxide, liquid carbon and potassium permanganate will all kill snails and their eggs.
Does vinegar deter snails? ›
Generally, the vinegar will only affect snails when it is wet, but you can pour white vinegar onto dryer lint and place it around the garden to repel them.
How do farmers get rid of snails? ›
Snails and slugs avoid gritty or rough environments since they get injured or killed as they move on them. Sand, ballast, coarse diatomaceous earth or crushed eggshells drive them away when sprinkled around plants.
How do farmers deal with snails? ›
Farmers and gardeners use things like egg shells, coffee grinds and sharp sand to create a surface that is too uncomfortable for the slugs and snails to cross. For plants that are grown in containers, bands of copper tape can be wrapped around the edges.
Is snail used in organic farming? ›
earthworm,glomus and oscillatoria can be used in organic farming while snail cannot be.
