What do you do with dead snails?

[IlanaK]

My new garden has been remarkably snail and slug free which I think is due to the large bird population. But today we found one (shock horror!!). I had no idea how to kill the thing - we tried drowning it in a bucket of water and it just crawled out! Someone suggested bicarb in the water - no effect! Then someone said salt which did work. So now I have a bucket with some salted water in it with a dead snail floating around. what do I do with it? Can I put it on the compost? Or do I leave it out and hope a bird eats it? My dh suggested chucking it over the fence into the neighbours overgrown garden (dead or alive!) but I just can't bring myself to do it.

I put mine (living and dead) in the brown recycle bin that is used to make council compost. I'm not sure if that's the correct thing to do, but I reckon at least they have something to munch on before they get squashed.

I used to salt them. Now I stamp on them or bash them with the trowel. Brutal but instant.

Chuck it over next door ...

I did wonder if they counted as "garden waste" and could go in that bin. Should I ask the council (cringing at the thought of that conversation!)?

Tread on it or crush it with a stone. I also lob them over the fence into a large tree

Sorry to be brutal, but you can't afford to be kind.

Oh sorry, I misread. I thought you wanted ideas of how to kill them.

If it is dead, just chuck it into a big bush. Good compost.

Ah ok, if it makes good compost, I will just chuck it on my compost bin. Thanks!

Don't put salted water on your compost.

I crunch them underfoot but went out the other night with my torch on slug watch and saw that the slugs like to eat the crushed snails. I am so sick that I can hardly post.

I put out slug traps with beer or cider in. Slugs and snails lap it up and die happy. I then put the pickled slugs on the bird table. The birds love them. The birds don't die although they may stagger a bit and boy, they don't half sing!

LOL @ Granny23 and takes notes!

I put them in the compost bin dead or alive. If alive they can munch on the decaying vegetable matter (and their waste products are very nutritious to plants), dead, their shells provide calcium...

Cut 'em in half with pruning shears and leave them out for birds (less cruel than salt etc IMHO)

If they are alive, my gardening book says don't throw them over the fence as they just come back!!

why do you have to do anything with it? and why did you kill it?!

southeastastra - probably because otherwise they eat all the plants?

I hate killing things and usually leave bugs etc be. But all my lovely veges that I am growing were being eaten and ruined by the slugs and snails. so now we have beer draps

Anybody know if I can tip the cup of beer in the compost bin when it is full of snails?

Jenny Penny - Yes

And where to put dead slugs in beer if you don't have compost bin? Haven't done a beer trap yet, but gathering my mind to do so (after they ate my beautiful courgettes )

Toja555 would the birds eat them? I've noticed that they like fresh (live) meat, actually thinking about it they like worms and they don't kill them first do they?

Toja555 would the birds eat them? I've noticed that they like fresh (live) meat, actually thinking about it they like worms and they don't kill them first do they?

Sorry for the double posting I got too enthusiastic I was having trouble posting anything before, now it's too many!

Hello,

I have a hobby gardening site and have nine natural ways to get rid of garden snails and slugs which may interest you. There are photos and simple instructions for each solution.

www.sustainable-gardening-tips.com/garden-snails.html

There are many different tips and some work better than others depending on your climate and the design of your garden to name just a couple. At this time of year you will need to have some clever ways to stop snails.

I really don't like commercial baits as they can cause death and / or illness in other innocent pets, birds and animals.

Please have a look and choose from the nine options and try to eliminate them in a sustainable way.

Kind regards
Robyn
(Gardener and Permaculturist)

First off, I give them to the DC to play with. Once they are finished, if the snail is still alive, I crush it underfoot ( not normally in sparkly stiletto party shoes tho )and then leave it on the lawn as a pressie for either the birds or the cat or the lawnmower - whoever gets there first.

They will have eggs, so best not to compost them...