Killing Snails in Organic Gardens

The Death Methods of snail control involve a degree of ingenuity. While normal pesticides cannot be used, there are still plenty of ways of killing snails and slugs organically. If these methods are a bit too much for you, you may want to try the more gentle preventative methods

Bait Traps

Using bait traps for snails and slugs is a very effective way to eliminate them. Beer is the preferred alcohol of choice although molasses and water can be used just as effectively. A small container is dug into the ground near susceptible plants. The container needs to be at least 2-5cm (1 inch) deep. Fill the container with your liquid and wait. The following morning you will have found that nearly every snail in your neighbourhood has come around, had a sip, got drunk, fallen in and drowned. Death by inebriation.

Manual Collection

If you have the patience, put on your gumboots, grab a torch and head off into the garden after dark. Stomping on snails and slugs can be very therapeutic. Alternatively, you can add all the pests to a bucket with some water. Put a secure lid on it and let the whole lot ferment for a couple of weeks – instant fertilizer. It stinks, and it is very concentrated, so be sure to dilute before it goes onto the garden.

Ducks for Snail and Slug Control

Yes, ducks can be used for snail and slug control. There are some varieties of ducks that have a passion for snails and slugs. They even prefer these little shots of protein more than your vegetable garden. Ducks who do like the taste of your garden can actually be trained from an early age to hunt for snails, but they need to be fed up on green food before they are put amongst your vegetables. Hens will also eat snails and slugs, but you will need to collect them for the hens as they are far too easily distracted by your garden and earth to dig in to go just for the snails.

Salt

Snails hate salt. The reasons are that the granules are both sharp and abrasive to their delicate undersides as well as being very dehydrating. So using salt to kill snails and slugs can be effective but it is not good for your garden. If you insist on using this method then you will need to surround all affected plants, but the salt will need to be contained so it is not absorbed into your garden and kill your plants more effectively than the snails ever will. Small children, though, love to watch the snails fizz and froth to death with salt applications.

So there you have it, some sure fire ways to safely eliminate snails and slugs from your organic garden. Organic pest control can be tricky to start with, but with a little bit of practise, can be just as effective as conventional snail and slug control.