Picky Picky
Step 3: Handpicking
Handpicking snails and
slugs 1*(see below) is one of the fastest and safest ways to reduce
their population.
Snails are best picked after dark 2* or on cloudy days when they are most
active.
Water well a few hours before picking to promote activity on their part.
Throw a
snail picking party!
Tell your kids that you will pay them per snail picked.
A good price
is a penny per snail (100 snails equals 1 dollar).
Have plenty of flash lights available.
Provide gloves.
Have buckets filled either with salt and soapy water, DE or salt layer, or
rock dust layer.
Throw picked snails into a bucket for disposal later.
Alternatively, you
can crush the snails and place them into the ant cafe as ants love to eat snails.
If using
rock dust, crushed snails can be added to compost pile.
If you have chickens, feed the
snails to them. Pick up every single snail you see and destroy it.
Snails can
lay over
300 eggs per day during laying season and the eggs can stay buried in the ground for up to
11 years and emerge when the time is right for their survival.
Another method is to
attract and trap them. (See Snail Cafe).
andy lopez
Invisible Gardener
copyright
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1* And
especially picking their eggs! The eggs are found below ground in clusters or under rocks
and boards. By cultivation of the soil you can expose the eggs and simply remove them by
throwing them away in a plastic baggy.
2* Best time is really at night since they do their
work at night.
Last Update:
March 8, 2013
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