Snails can cause a lot of damage in the garden. Animal-friendly gardeners are looking for eco-friendly home remedies to get rid of snails. Find out below whether vinegar helps against snails and how to use the home remedy.
Is vinegar a suitable remedy for snails in the garden?
Vinegar is an effective remedy against snails because it dissolves their skin and kills them. However, vinegar is not an animal-friendly home remedy and harms other living beings as well as plants. Vinegar should never be sprayed directly on snails! However, a highly diluted solution containing vinegar can protect plants from pests such as snails.
Is vinegar effective against snails?
Vinegar is a veryeffective remedyagainst snails. When it comes into contact with the snail skin, it dissolves it. Vinegar kills snails. S alt has a similar effect, causing the snail to dry out cruelly. Therefore, contrary to what you might think, vinegar isnot an animal-friendly home remedy and should never be sprayed directly on snails! Keeping snails away with vinegar works in principle, but it doesn't just harm the snails: vinegar also affects other creatures and even plants.
How does vinegar affect snails, plants and creatures?
Vinegar doesn't just kill snails; itchanges the pH valuein the soil andharms other living beingssuch as earthworms. But that's not all: vinegar is also a naturalherbicide and can cause lasting damage to plants. So if you apply too much vinegar, you have to expect that the plants will die. Vinegar is therefore sometimes used against weeds. However, the effect of vinegar can be so devastating that its use against weeds on patio slabs, paths or in joints is even prohibited.
Can you use highly diluted vinegar against snails?
Highly diluted vinegar is said to protect plantsfrom pests such as snails without causing lasting damage. To be on the safe side, it is better to only use it on potted plants and test the effect on a small area on the plant to ensure that it does not harm the plant.
- To do this, mix a teaspoon of vinegar with two liters of water.
- Pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
- Spray the product onto the plant - never directly onto the snail!
Tip
Other uses of vinegar in the garden
Vinegar is a versatile home remedy! It is a great cleaner and a potent disinfectant! You can therefore use it, for example, to disinfect garden equipment and tools. It has also proven to be very effective against mold and limescale.
