Eco way to kill snails

[posalie]

What's an eco way to kill snails and slugs? We inherited a beautiful garden, and it's just full of snails (and some slugs) at the moment. The previous owner had lots of slug pellets and similar, but we're worried these will also harm hedgehogs and other wildlife. Is there an eco way to kill them?

(I know some people prefer not to kill them at all, but I need to kill them I'm afraid.)

I’ve had good success with my lupins this year using wool pellets. They’ve meant the plant has had a chance to grow tall enough to really get going, while a few of the bottom leaves are still
munched it’s not an issue. Last year they were absolutely decimated so I was going to give up on them. Would definitely recommend them, egg shells didn’t work for me.

The slugs have munched all my new seedlings though it’s very disheartening 😞

Yeah, it's a bit fucked up to be cutting creatures in half

Oh I love the sound of this, I would love a garden that attracts a lot of wildlife! Ours is just a tiny courtyard surrounded by other houses on all sides, so I'd be surprised if anything actually gets into it, other than cats! I won't even put a bird feeder out because that seems cruel when there are so many cats locally.

I hate this sloppy argument to animal cruelty.

just because there is animal cruelty in one place doesn’t mean you can’t feel compassion and choose not to partake in another.
ultimately the world would be even more fucked if we all had the attitude of “well my next door neighbour eats meat, so I may as well poison the birds”

illogical argument.

i do think there would be a hell of a lot more veggies if we had to do the deed ourselves.

Do slugs suffer more from

being cut in half
being thrown in the road / over a fence
eating pellets
being squished
alcohol poisoning (these traps kill froglets, too)
nematode infection
getting eaten by frogs, birds, hedgehogs or other creatures?

I like recycling best (preyed on) but it's hardest one to make happen.

Too gross for me, but I don't see that quick snip in half is worse for the slug than the other options.

I put them in my garden waste collection where they end up in a huge compost heap.

I also don't grow much that they like, so a lot of geraniums and fuschias.

Gardening is mad isn’t it.
trying to control our little patch, what lives in it. What survives. Even the behaviour of our wildlife.

i always think of my garden as just being a custodian for the wildlife, it’s their home at the end of the day. There’s a happy balance for all isnt there.

at least if the slugs are preyed upon they aren’t going to waste like snip snippyson, hedgehogs and frogs don’t hang about in their devouring so it’s not long and drawn out.

@EvilPea - I did a liberal spray of garlic spray today, and it's now rained it all off! I will persevere. ----

Wool pellets are a good one. I had forgotten about them....

PS - for all my theoretical arguments about slug snipping, I could never do it (although do use nematodes which basically make them explode and spread loads more nematodes, so I'm not overly convinced that's hugely cruelty free either)...

Only grow bay, rosemary, and geraniums!

Get some chickens.

@LoveSpringDaffs - it's Restorative Justice for snails 😂🤣 🐌

...
@Baystard - thank you for that information because we have moved and previously only had the brown ones (which definitely eat everything) but now also have the beautiful multi coloured spiral ones as well - and I haven't got the heart to get rid of them because they are so pretty – but was wondering if they were equally eating everything.

So it is very good to know that they don't and I will leave all the pretty ones in peace!

I really don't like hostas, I think they're ugly and they remind me of triffids. So hostas and snails deserve each other imo. It's the perfect solution, grow hostas, snails destroy them 😃

Encourage birds. Thrushes like snails, they just need a bit of hard surface to use as an 'anvil'.

I just take my dog over to them so he can eat them

@kimberly489 - is there a danger your dog get lungworm though - as I know Hedgehogs can potentially get this from eating slugs and will generally only resort to eating them if they are so hungry and can't find anything else.

I've just googled it...

www.countryfile.com/countryfile/guide-to-lungworm-what-is-it-how-to-spot-the-signs-and-protect-your-dog/

🤮🤮🤮

Never heard of lungworm ? Your dog could die.

I've tried coffee brewed and grounds, and eggshells. Neither worked. I've bought a cloche. But that's more for single plants.

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal you'd be amazed.

I made a ladybird home out of pine cones in a used fruit netting bag
Logs just piled up in a corner - the mice live there plus lots of bugs and beetles
My composter (very small pretty beehive looks likey thing) is actually on decking as no room to go direct on the soil, but it's got worms and all sorts which just appeared, and makes amazing compost.
The bee hotel sits on a fence
The pond is one of those colourful plastic tubs, buried in the ground with some water plants. No frogs yet but lots of other creatures just appeared (birds bring them in)
We have cats but put the bird feeders up very high, and also have one on the window which makes it hard for the cats to reach.

Hope this helps/inspires

@catwomando may I ask where you got your composter from please?

Hi.
I'm using a mixture
-home made mixed with last years spent compost and well rotted horse manure
Bags from Lidl
Bags of new horizon (variable quality)

@posalie just realised you meant the composter 😂

Very similar to this. V expensive but v beautiful

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bespoke-Beehive-Composter-Made-to-order-/284795482377?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

Oh I love it! That's so cute! ❤️

Big jam jar.
Can/ bottle of beer.
Beer in open jam jar overnight.
Job done.