I don't care what these are called, but I need help getting rid of them. They are all over my garden, and yard, and eat everyting they get a hold of! What can I do to make them go away???? Bug sprays do not help, neither does salt!
Linda Kay
Help with snails
Salt sprinkled directly on them dissolves them NOW. Insecticides don't work. Anything that can cut thru that thin membrane we would call skin will kill them such as Diatimatious Earth will do it but if you water too well or it rains you must reapply it to the ground. I'm sure that there are other things that do the job and others will answer your plea so you have some things to work with.
Ann
Salt sprinkled directly on them dissolves them NOW. Insecticides don't work. Anything that can cut thru that thin membrane we would call skin will kill them such as Diatimatious Earth will do it but if you water too well or it rains you must reapply it to the ground. I'm sure that there are other things that do the job and others will answer your plea so you have some things to work with. Otherwise, nothing I know of outside of picking the things up and stepping on them till stop them. And they lay lots of eggs!!!
Ann
I will go check, I put salt out this morning, but I will sprinkle it on them directly.
Thanks
Linda Kay
Where do they come from. The miracle grow soil I have purchased?
Don't think so. Even if you are planting in an established bed, there are all kinds of varmints in there including snails, slugs, pill bugs, etc, etc etc.
Ann
taters55, There are several products that work well against snails and slugs. It's available as either pellets or a dense liquid (gel). Sluggo is supposed to be pet safe. As Ann stated diatomaceous earth works, but you have to reapply it after each rain or after you water. Strips of copper will work when applied around the circumference of the tree's or shrub's base. Copper, however, is very expensive right now and you would have to surround an entire bed to protect smaller plants. You would also have to eradicate all snails and slugs within the bed for copper to be effective. It is very effective as it generates an electrical field they dislike when they touch the copper.
Beer, poured into small pie plates embedded in the ground, works, but the container has to be protected from the weather and your pets. Cats and dogs will drink the beer leaving none for the snails.
I know they manage to get under boards, maybe you can lay a board over the pan of beer and leave just a small opening.
A friend uses beer successfully. I crush dried eggshells and spread them around plants where the slugs operate.
Thanks for the tips. I put salt on a lot last night, and I will put beer out later.
Linda Kay
Are these snails eating plants, or are they eating other snails? The photo looks a lot like the rosy predator snail, and it is a good guy in that it doesn't eat plants, only other snails. Whenever I am lucky enough to find one in my yard, I place it under my ground hugging plants that the pest snails like to devour... Here's a photo of the good guy munching on snails.
And another of the rosy predator extended and looking for snails to eat.
A good Snail CJ? I never seen one ... granted I never seen one that color, but if what you are saying is correct I would take them all off your hand to place in my Hosta beds. :) I hate snails and slugs, they are disastrous to my Hostas, and I use whatever it takes to eradicate them!
Linda Kay ... salt works to kill them after they have eaten your plants and beer give them something to was it down with. Its the yeast in the beer that attracts them. I read where the British use straight yeast to get rid of them. It makes them swell up and bust open they say. I find Sluggo worthless. It sounds to me you that have a heavy infestation, you need something strong that wont wash away in the first rain to get rid rid of them. Dmail me.
During the rain is when I see them. I don't have the problem during the hot days. I picked up 102 just this morning. I got out to the garden every couple of hours!!! They are just coming out of nowhere? I have killed some of my plants with salt, so now I just pick them up, place them in an empty coffee can, and drown them in salt water. Until I can find some of the products you all have mentions, I will just keep going on slug patrol!!!
Linda Kay
Sylvia - Sorry, but you can't have my rosies! If I had more to go around, I would gladly share, but hostas are one of the plants I place them under. Honest!! These are major snail-EATERS!
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/showimage/7234/
BTW, I use sluggo (iron phosphate) and it works for me. You have to reapply it because watering (or rains) will soak it into the soil (and nourish your plant). But if kept fresh, I have good luck. I like it. But I like Rosy better....
CJ PLEASE BRING ME TWO OR THREE TO THE COLLEGE STATION RU IN APRIL ... I WILL TRADE YOU ... TWO OR THREE HOSTAS? :)
Aw, Sylvia. It's come to this. Begging for snails... LOL!!
I'll see what I can do. But NO promises. Like I said, we don't have enough to share, so I'll have to check around. Now, IF these guys/ladies have babies, maybe it will be different. It's not like I see them very often - it's always a nice surprise when we run across one.
In early spring, it's possible to purchase decollate snails at Buchanan's in the Heights in Houston. These are carnivorous and eat both snails and slugs. My butterfly gingers were so full of snails I couldn't cut and bring them inside. A year ago I bought some to try and that summer I had no problem with snails on my gingers. I bought another bunch this spring. It's hard to get them breeding in enough quantity to keep all the snails/slugs in check. Decollate snails have a spiral shell.
Leslie
It looks like this is the kind of snails I am having problems with? I don't need anymore snails. I need these gone. I picked out more than 150 of them yesterday. Today is not too bad, because the rain finally stopped. Sarting to dry out today!!!
They are eating my angel and devil trumpets. Nothing else, just those plants. When I find them, I drown them in salt water!!!
Anyome want some snail soup??? LOL
Linda Kay
If they're eating your plants, they're not the same kind of snails. These snails don't eat plants.
I have the same snails as shown in the original post. They aren't "good ones". These are more gray to olive colored with darker markings. Be careful of putting salt in your beds, it will also kill plants. I've used Sluggo to good effect and it can be found at Lowe's. Also, in addition to the Height's nursery, Corneliun on Dairy Ashford stocks some beneficials and they had predator snails there a few times that I've noticed. Never tried them though, so don't know how much good they'd do.
Crow
How interesting ... I need to take this info over to the Hosta forum. CJ just Joking about bringing me snails ... I am still waiting for the Cleytha(sp shrubs. ;) I was over in your neck of the woods last weekend. I spent the weekend with Linda. I was going to drive but I chicken out, so I flew there. I am driving next time ... its a straight shot out of Dallas.
Leslie I just checked out your snails. http://www.growquest.com/snail_destroyer.htm
I am on my way to the Hosta forum. Thanks
The cleyeras are still here. We were going to take them out to make a new flower bed, but Linda and I didn't seem to be able to get together... Plus the fact that they are probably too big to put in the back of her suv. These will require a pickup. Sorry about that.
awww shoot!
Got a pickup? :-)
Tater...you need to have roadrunners in your yard - they come up around the ranch house and do a number on snails. Don't guess those birds can be domesticated but they seem to enjoy hanging around the yard.
~ Cat
We do have a few around here, but I guess not enough! Wish I gcould figure out how to breed them? LOL
Linda Kay
We have roadrunners, and I used to like them. But unfortunately snails aren't the only things they eat. They will climb trees and steal baby birds from their nests (and sometimes the parents).
Oh no, I did not know that. That is terrible!
Glad we don't have that many!
Linda Kay
Snakes have been found in trees feasting on baby birds too. Snakes are a delicacy for roadrunners. Think I'd be happy with a roadrunner or two... can anyone spare a few! LOL
I don't know why we have them (urban neighborhood). But they are pretty cute. A couple of years ago we had to cut down a dead willow, and it was a few days before we got it chopped up and moved. In the meantime, I'd look out my kitchen window and see the roadrunners having a field day right in my back yard.
WHATS A ROADRUNNER?
It's a Plymouth... lol http://classiccars.kfunk.net/plymouth/72plymouth_roadrunner.jpg
It's a cable company...
It is a cartoon character... on Wile E. Coyote!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wile_E._Coyote_and_Road_Runner
This message was edited Sep 8, 2008 7:06 PM
But then here on DG we know the Roadrunner as Jo.
This message was edited Sep 8, 2008 7:05 PM
It's a record company...