Whether in lettuce, on cabbage, in strawberries or on ornamental plants: snails can be found wherever things bloom and thrive – much to the annoyance of many garden owners who were looking forward to a rich harvest. Once the slimy pests have made themselves comfortable in the vegetable patch, the damage they cause increases rapidly. Especially when it rains a lot in summer, slugs quickly become a real nuisance. But there are also plenty of other species in the garden. What many people don’t know is that not every snail causes damage, quite the opposite! “They eat decaying parts of plants and dead animals and are therefore a useful part of the community. They also decompose plant remains and thus help with the formation of humus,” explains the Nature Conservation Association of Germany. V. Therefore, you should not fight all snails.
On average, a snail can eat up to 200 square centimeters of leaves each night. To be more precise, it scrapes off large areas of the plants so that the next morning only its holey food marks and a shiny trail of slime indicate the attack – but not which snail did the damage. Therefore, you should not automatically hunt all species, but only fight the animals that are targeting your fruit and vegetable patch.
So that you can better distinguish the snails from each other, only the species that are particularly frequently seen in German gardens are listed below:
As you can see from the list, there are primarily only two species of snails that will wreak havoc on your garden: the Spanish slug and the reticulated field snail. In addition, the former is increasingly displacing the native snails – and has no real predators. “Because of its heavy mucous secretion, it is mostly despised even by hedgehogs and toads and is comparatively less sensitive to drought,” the Nature Conservation Association points out. Therefore, you should only fight the slugs that harm your plants. And not those that feed on dead plant material or can even help drive out the unwanted species.
1. Schneckenkorn
So-called molluscicides, i.e. chemical pesticides, are an effective means of combating snails. The pressed granules usually contain one of the two active ingredients: iron (III) phosphate or metaldehyde. The blue grains are scattered and eaten by the snails, causing them to die. However, environmentalists are not very enthusiastic about this control method because the poisoned snails are also said to endanger other animals such as hedgehogs and birds. Snail pellets containing iron(III) phosphate have been approved as a biological plant protection agent: After ingestion, the snails hide in their hiding places and die. And if the granules are not touched for a certain period of time, they will break down into their components.
2. Snail fence
The snail fence works without any chemicals. This is a simple metal fence that – according to TÜV – should be fixed at least 15 centimeters deep in the ground and be at least ten centimeters high. The highlight of the fence, however, is its angled profile, which the snails cannot overcome. However, it is important that you collect all pests within the fence by hand so that they cannot attack the plants. For the same reason, the fence must not come into contact with the beds. As an alternative to the snail fence, chains, wires or bands made of copper should be able to scare away snails.
3. Protection ring
According to the Nature Conservation Association, drought is the greatest enemy of snails: “An effective remedy is to spread a wide layer of sawdust and lime around the beds. Snails avoid rough surfaces and the lime burns their soles.” These protective rings are particularly suitable for highly endangered plants. However, the chips only work as long as it doesn’t rain. And lime is not a permanent solution either, as it can negatively affect the pH value in the soil. Coarse sand, on the other hand, would be another way to keep the snails away from the plants.
Beer: In fact, not only do many people like beer, but also snails. They are magically attracted to the barley juice, but then drown in the trap. It is important to know that no rainwater should get into the trap so that the liquid is not diluted. Beer also attracts snails from the neighboring garden, so the trap must be set up at the edge of the garden and not in the immediate vicinity of the nearest fruit or vegetable patch.
Coffee: The caffeine-containing powder is said to have a lethal effect on snails. It is simply scattered over the ground and can therefore also be used as fertilizer. However, unlike other home remedies, coffee is not such a promising way to combat snails. The scent only lasts for a short time and disappears with the next rain at the latest. It’s definitely worth a try, but you shouldn’t expect too much from it.
Salt: This home remedy is only listed for the sake of completeness, but should not necessarily be used as the first choice. Since salt removes moisture from the snails, the animals die slowly and painfully when they come into contact with it. For this reason, this rather outdated method is certainly not the best – from a moral point of view – and should only be used in extreme emergencies. But not better at all.
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