When it comes to fighting snails, nature-oriented hobby gardeners clearly reject chemicals and poison. Effective organic methods and home remedies put an end to snail infestations in the garden, pond and greenhouse. Aquarists don't let the pests fool them either. How to fight voracious snails without chemicals.
How can you combat snails biologically?
Snails can be controlled biologically by introducing predators such as runner ducks and tiger snails, using nematodes, spreading coffee grounds, using liverwort extract and garlic decoction. Mechanical methods include snail fences, snail collars, low-voltage fences, traveling barriers and snail collection.
- Home remedies for snails in the garden include nematodes, coffee grounds, liverwort extract, garlic broth and the predators runner ducks and tiger snails.
- Mechanical-manual methods for snail control include snail fences, snail collars, low-voltage fences, traveling barriers and collection.
- In the aquarium you can fight snails by reducing the amount of food, improving tank hygiene and collecting them by hand or with snail tongs.
Fighting snails biologically – overview of where and how
Nature-loving hobby gardeners don't think about turning their green kingdom into a mined area with chemical pesticides. Plant lovers remain steadfastly true to this resolution in the face of a plague of snails in the garden, pond and greenhouse, on the balcony and terrace. Thanks to a variety of organic methods and home remedies, it can be combated without poison. The following table gives a compact overview of which means work in which location:
| Home remedies/organic method | Where to use? | How to use? | Mechanical/Manual | Where to use? | How to use? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Predators | in the garden/greenhouse | Settling running ducks, tiger snails | Snail fence | in the garden | Fence the beds |
| Nematodes | in the bed/greenhouse | pouring | Snail collar | in the bed | Single plants with collar |
| Coffee grounds | in the garden | spread | Low current fence | Raised bed | mount on the edge of the bed |
| Liverwort Extract | Garden/Greenhouse | inject early | Walking barrier | in the garden | Sprinkle pine needles, grit, sand |
| Garlic stock | Garden/Greenhouse | inject regularly | Collect | Bed, balcony, pond | capture by hand |
The beer trap failed to combat snails. In fact, bowls filled with beer have been shown to worsen a snail infestation in the garden due to an intense attracting effect. According to the observations of troubled hobby gardeners, the slimy beasts first fortified themselves with beer and then indulged in a lavish feast of salad with great pleasure.
Excursus
Shell snails – welcome beneficial insects
Shell snails are useful garden helpers
Did you know that there is a world of difference between snails and shell snails? Where slugs appear, lettuce, parsley, flowers and other fresh greens disappear from the bed. Large red snails such as the Spanish slug (Arion vulgaris) and brown mini snails such as the reticulated field snail (Deroceras reticulatum) are equally feared. In contrast, shell snails come into the garden as a useful clean-up team. The diet includes rotten leaves, moldy grass, rotten fruit and even carrion. Snails with houses do not eat fresh greens. For this reason, shell snails are protected, such as the magnificent Roman snail (Helix pomatia).
Fighting snails in the garden – using home remedies correctly
In order for home remedies and organic methods to effectively combat many snails in the garden, important factors are important. The following information quickly summarizes what you should pay attention to when using it:
Engage predators
The tiger snail is a carnivore and likes to eat other slugs
When ducks are on patrol in the garden, there are no snails to be seen anywhere. If the property is not suitable for keeping the cute snail killers, the predatory snails will come into their own. The tiger snail (Limax maximus), which you can buy in specialist shops, is an avid snail hunter.
Use nematodes
Special roundworms parasitize snails by laying their eggs in their soft bodies. This doesn't end well for the slugs. Nematodes of the genus Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita achieve the best effectiveness against snails in the greenhouse. You can order live nematodes in online stores. The beneficial insects are delivered in clay granules. Dissolved in water and applied with a watering can, the nematodes immediately get to work in the bed and greenhouse.
Coffee kills snails
Coffee is poison for large red snails and small brown snails. If you scatter dried coffee grounds in the bed, the neurotoxin causes the pests to go into cardiac arrest. A snail plague cannot be combated with caffeine alone. As a supplementary measure, the home remedy still has a respectable control effect in the garden, on the balcony or in the cemetery.
Tip
Please do not throw dead snails into the compost. The carcasses attract conspecifics from the surrounding area. Ideally, you should bury the snail corpses a spade deep in the ground.
Organic spray liverwort and garlic
Snails can't stand the smell of garlic
Organic sprays are intended for hobby gardeners who do not want to kill snails, but simply want to drive them away. The plan is animal-friendly with liverwort extract from specialist retailers. Slugs can't stand the scents they contain and run away in disgust.
Hobby gardeners who grow their own garlic produce an effective deterrent themselves. The recipe is very simple:
- Press 100 grams of garlic
- Boil 1 liter of water with the garlic
- Let it steep for 60 minutes
- Dilute the garlic stock with water in a ratio of 1:5
- Water plants regularly with it
You can achieve a similar repellent effect with tomato leaves or shoots, used as plant manure. Pour water over the plant parts in a tub. For the next three weeks, stir the fermenting liquid daily. Before using it as a biological control agent against snails, the tomato manure is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.
Tip
Transparent snail paste without poison can be easily applied to the edges of tubs, pots and flower boxes. The fragrances contained in it effectively repel snails. The organic product retains its effectiveness for several weeks even in damp weather.
Hand-held snail control – mechanical-manual means
Large red snails and brown mini snails give in when mechanical-manual means are used in the garden. The following instructions explain how to use the manual snail control correctly:
Snail fence
Snail fences can also be built yourself
Snail-ridden hobby gardeners sing the praises of the snail fence. The construction made of plastic, stainless steel or copper has proven to be effective in protecting an entire bed from decay. It is important to note a minimum height of 30 cm because snails are surprisingly good climbers. Only use a fence whose top edge is bent downwards at an angle of maximum 55° to 60°.
Snail collar
A snail collar is the perfect bodyguard for young plants. The transparent protective ring is placed around an individual plant and prevents approaching snails from gaining access. Special advantage: a snail collar is reusable.
Low current fence
In raised beds, ornamental and useful plants are by no means safe from insatiable snails. This is where an ingenious low-voltage fence comes into play to thoroughly spoil a feeding attack for the pests. Two parallel, coated metal wires are fixed to the frame at a distance of 3-5 mm with wood screws, hot glue or stapler. A solar module or a 9-volt battery serves as the power source. Installation takes place in the upper third of the raised bed frame.
Walking barrier
Sharp, grainy or highly absorbent floor coverings are anathema to snails. With a traveling barrier, pests can be kept away from the plants in many places, such as in the bed, in the greenhouse or in the cemetery. The following materials are suitable:
- pine needles
- Split
- coarse sawdust
- Flax
- Sheep wool
Traveling barriers serve their purpose when distribution takes place over a large area. It should be more than 10 centimeters around endangered plants.
Collect
Collecting is tedious but efficient
Hard-core hobby gardeners collect slugs by hand. If you don't want to touch the slimy molluscs, use special snail tongs. The best time to collect is early in the morning or after a rain shower. The day before, lay out a few boards in the bed under which the pests will hide. This has the advantage that you don't have to spend a long time looking for the pests. In the pond you can catch snails with a landing net.
A completely snail-free garden is not the goal. Where there are no snails, there will hardly be any vibrant life left in the bed. (Björn Schoas, biologist and expert in snail control)
Fighting snails in the aquarium
If there is a snail plague in the aquarium, the balance of the mini-ecosystem is at stake. A wide range of natural remedies have proven effective in practice to effectively combat the voracious intruders. How to stop an explosive snail proliferation in the aquarium without poison:
- Collect immediate action: collect as many mini snails as possible by hand or with tongs
- Reduce the amount of food: only feed as much as fish and other aquatic creatures can eat within 60 seconds
- Optimize pool hygiene: Clean windows and decorations, remove rotten plants, change water regularly, clean the substrate with a vacuum cleaner, remove carcasses promptly
Unwanted snails enter the aquarium as stowaways of new aquatic plants. By thoroughly showering each green new addition before introducing it, you are slamming the door in the faces of uninvited guests.
In the following video, an experienced aquarium expert has his say with practical tips on how to effectively combat a snail plague in the aquarium:
Frequently asked questions
How can you fight snails in a terrarium?
The first control measure is to collect all the snails you come across. Explosive snail reproduction always indicates an oversupply of food. Only serve as much food in the terrarium as your pets can eat within a few minutes. Furthermore, ensure meticulous hygiene by carrying out regular all-round cleaning and removing dying plants early.
Can you fight snails in the garden with a beer trap?
The news spread like wildfire among hobby gardeners that a beer trap could effectively combat snails. Unfortunately, the home remedy did not meet the high expectations. In fact, beer has a strong attracting effect on all slugs in the surrounding area, which can make the pest in the garden much worse. Disappointed home gardeners had to watch as the ravenous rabble feasted on the beer served and, freshly strengthened, went on to eat the leaves in the bed.
How can I kill collected snails in an animal-friendly manner?
In natural gardens, two methods have proven to be effective in practice to bring collected snails to a painless and quick end. A quick cut with secateurs right through the slimy, soft body kills the pests in a split second. You can also make it animal-friendly with a mixture of 60 percent vinegar and 40 percent water. If you throw a slug in there, the animal will die immediately.
Tip
The recommendation to fight snails with s alt falls on deaf ears among animal-friendly hobby gardeners. Slugs sprinkled with s alt slowly dry out, accompanied by unbearable pain and a painful agony.
