I've been INVADED by SNAILS!

[Lisa0825]

I plucked out about 50 of the slimy suckers today alone!!! They started infiltrating Sunday night. Remembering the beer remedy, I immediately put out several small bowls. By morning I saw several in the bowls. I also read that birds will eat them out of the beer bowls, so whatever you see left is probably a fraction of what had been there. This morning I got up early, and interrupted breakfast for about 10 birds. There were still at least a couple of dozen snails in and around the bowls! Tonight I got home late, and they were already on their way out and about. I must have picked up at least 50, and then put out fresh beer for them. I then also poured a bit of salt around the outside of the garden boxes.

Will the invasion taper off if I keep putting out beer, or is there something more that I need to do to get rid of them, as opposed to just drowning the ones who show up?

I have to admit... while I don't like killing anything, it is rather amusing to know that I am serving my neighborhood birds pilsner marinated escargot for breakfast.

[badgerpup]

1. Robins do like marinated escargot...

Not really familiar with this, since I haven't been invaded, but you'd think that after awhile they'd run out of snails if they keep falling in the beer...:shrug:

Good luck with that!

I've heard that putting diatomaceous earth around your plants is good too...stuff cuts up the tender pests like snails, slugs, etc., like a bunch of litte tiny razors so they avoid it.

[Lisa0825]

6. I have read that too...

I was just concerned that that might also bother beings gardens like, such as lizards, spiders, etc. I am hoping the salt and beer combo will do the trick, but if not, the diatomaceous earth is my next plan.

[wildeyed]

2. Sluggo works too.

I have used it in my hostas and got good results.

http://www.pestproducts.com/sluggo.htm

[Lisa0825]

7. Thanks! I'll check it out! nt

[Imalittleteapot]

12. Sluggo is so much easier than beer traps! And it works! nt

[Lisa0825]

17. I just happened to have beer on hand (which I usually don't)

so that was the quick and easy solution. Next time I am in the nursery, I will look for Sluggo.

Thanks! :-)

[LiberalEsto]

3. Your birdsh (hic) thanks you

for the delishesh (burp) schnacksh.

If your birds develop huge beer bellies, please post pics!

[ThomWV]

4. You may also note that they are sluggish in their movements

It is difficult to immagine that the birds will eat all they want when the offending creatures are in a bowl but you don't see the same birds hunting them down in your garden. I understand that wild animals adapt to man but birds eating exclusively out of bowls seems odd.

[LiberalEsto]

5. Miss Manners says bravo

for teaching birds how to dine properly from bowls, but urges you to consider adding finger bowls, escargot forks and tiny linen napkins to each place setting.

[Lisa0825]

10. Hmmmmm

The finger bowls and napkins are doable... but I don't think I will be purchasing escargot forks for creatures without thumbs, when I won't even have the need to use said forks myself (for me, escargot is a rare choice, and it is never home made). I sincerely thank you for your approval and suggestions. :hi:

[Lisa0825]

9. LOL! Birds in bowls.. sounds like a Dr Seuss story!

I assume they regularly go after snails, but when the snails are in plain site, drowned in a shallow bowl, as opposed to being stuck under the branches of a plant where they are harder to find, they probably look like a mighty convenient snack.

[Lisa0825]

8. So far, they look pretty slim and trim...

but if this invasion goes on a while, I can see them getting fat and lazy! :rofl:

[Kolesar]

11. I used to mulch the aisles w/ paper &straw and the plants with leaves &straw--but not this year.

It seemed that every year, the slugs were getting worse. This year I have been hoeing the planting beds and aisles with vigor. I took a mattock to the aisles that were really getting out of hand: they were hard packed due to foot traffic.

I hope this insanely hot weather Ohio has been having will destroy the slugs habit.

I have heard that if you mulch with sawdust or wood shavings, the slugs won't crawl over it to attack the plants.

[Lisa0825]

15. Thanks!

I need to add some mulch anyway. I'll look into that.

[China_cat]

13. Want my recipe for garlic butter?

[Lisa0825]

16. Um..... no.

LOL! I have only ever eaten snails twice, and I pretended they were tough mushrooms. They were prepared very nicely, but I still have issues with the whole "snail" issue.

[goddess40]

14. We have slugs every where - even up the trees

we've gotten so much rain they seem to have multiplied in the last couple of days. They're even on the patio and sidewalks, they're even grosser than worms on the sidewalk - it's hard enough to walk trying to avoid stepping on worms now I have to avoid slugs too.

[Lisa0825]

18. We haven't had much rain this season.

The garden area is the only place I have been watering, so I am sure that is a snail-magnet.

[K8-EEE]

19. I got some of those canibal snails in April....damn I think they worked!

Supposedly if you let some of those loose early in the season they eat all the snails when they're babies....I didn't know if it was BS or what but I haven't seen any snails this year, usually they are a big headache.

[Lisa0825]

20. WOW! I never heard of that!

So far the combo of salt and beer seems to have finally worked. I haven't seen new snails the last 2 evenings, or found more in the beer traps.

[K8-EEE]

21. Cannibal Slugs

Yeah i used to do the beer traps....so lovely to empty them in the a.m.......just what I feel like doing, but if I don't get out there the stuff just COOKS. I mean, my gag reflects SO work overtime on the snails.

I was absolutely gagging on the "release" instructions of the snail-eating slugs. They are kept in sort of a refrigerator induced coma. (blech.) So you have to water them, put them in a shady spot and then when they awake from their slumber, let them out to do their thing.

They're SO not pretty. But apparently they're hungry little devils, and they prefer eating garden snails to plants, my plants are so uneaten this year so you know, COME ON IN FELLAS.....they're like, snail on Atkins!

[Le Taz Hot]

22. Toads

Natures snail killer.

[Retrograde]

23. escargot?

Northern California is plagued by snails, supposedly the result of French 49er who missed the taste of home. You can buy identical-looking snails in French markets: it took a lot of self-control not to grab the dang things and stomp on them.

I actually tried homemade escargot once: caught a bunch, fed them on lettuce and cornmeal for a week, then boiled them. They were - tasteless. Now I pick them by hand and toss them into the yard clippings barrel for the city to pick up for compost: at least they get a big last meal that way. If there are plants I really want to protect I'll put a circle of Slug and Snail Death around them.

According to one of my Sunset Western Garden books, roof rats consider snails a delicacy, but I don't think that's an optimal solution :) Ducks also find them tasty.