Some people don’t like slugs and snails. But they are fascinating creatures, that provide important food for birds and other wild creatures, to keep nature in balance.
But you don’t want them munching through prize vegetables and flowers. So here are kind ideas to deter, without causing harm to any creature.
Keep dogs away from slugs, snails and amphibians as they could get lungworm (symptoms can take weeks to appear: coughing, lethargy, abnormal breathing and bleeding. It’s a medical emergency.
Change water in outdoor bowls regularly to help avoid lungworm. Also read how to create pet-friendly gardens.
Never Use Slug & Snail Pellets
- These are lethal to all wildlife, plus birds (that eat poisoned slugs and snails). They also can harm pets and children. Securely wrap them and bin (or take to toxic waste at the tip).
- Even ‘organic slug pellets’ are best avoided. Some contain iron phosphate which can also harm pets. And they cause an awful death for whichever creatures ingest them.
- Slugs and snails are important for gardens, as they provide food for birds and many creatures, nature in balance. So using slug pellets (which can also harm pets, as some resemble dried kibble) is not just unkind but can also harm other wildlife.
‘Natural Slug/Snail Control Myths
There are many books and websites, that recommend various ‘natural methods’. But these are not always as good as they sound:
- Broken glass can harm birds, wildlife, pets & children.
- Spices can poison all wildlife & pets
- Coffee again can harm pets & wildlife.
- Essential oils can harm pets & wildlife.
- Copper can suffocate snails, or give electric shocks.
Work with Nature (garden organically)
- Your organic garden has natural organic slug and snail control, in the form of visiting birds and other native wildlife.
- Leave your garden a bit ‘messy’ and leave out log piles to attract hedgehogs and frogs. Ensure ponds have sloping sides (and no netting, which can trap wild creatures).
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust teaches us that slugs are eaten by:
- Rove & Ground Beetles
- Slow Worms
- Frogs
- Hedgehogs
- Toads
Snails are eaten by:
- Song & Mistle Thrushes
- Blackbirds
- Hedgehogs
- Toads
- Mice
- Centipedes
- The larvae of glow worms
Badgers & foxes also eat slugs and snails (and worms).
A Physical Barrier (by a Scottish tinkerer!)
Molluskit is a barrier made mostly from recycled material, invented by a ‘garage tinkerer’ who loves earthworms. The ‘comb design’ clicks together to stop access to plants above ground (and blocks access to root/bulb systems).
It’s tested by Scotland’s Rural College to be 86% effective. This is because although the average garden contains around 30,000 slugs and snails, 95% are underground. For larger gardens and allotments, buy multiple kits to fit together.
Non-Toxic Liquid Deterrent (Yorkshire)
Grazers G2 is a mix of plant extracts and calcium (good for plants) that’s applied to plants, to make them unpalatable to slugs and snails. This company makes a similar product to deter cabbage white butterflies and red lily beetles.
The main product is used to make grass unpalatable to wild rabbits and other creatures (so don’t use on grass where pets eat).
Seen a Motionless Snail?
Snails on walls that look dead are likely in ‘suspended hibernation’. The usually ‘come back to life’ when it rains. Small snails with soft shells are usually okay (the shells harden with age).
If you find a snail that’s trodden on, if it’s a slight crack, it should recover. But if the shell is badly smashed, the snail will likely die slowly of dehydration. So it may be kinder to give a few ‘quick heavy stamps to Snail Heaven’, to stop further suffering.
Get To Know (and Love!) Slugs & Snails
Our slimy friends are quite the charm, once you get to know them! The world’s slowest creatures have muscular ‘feet’ to move using tentacles (freshwater and marine snails breathe through gills, like fish).
Snails live on dead bark, herbs, fungi, algae and animal scat. They lay up to 100 eggs (only half will hatch). Slugs are similar, they simply have no shells (so live underground, and only come out when it rains – they hibernate in winter).
Grandmother Ruth Brooks won a BBC Radio 4 competition as England’s top amateur scientist, for her discovery on homing instincts of snails. Her ruthless vendetta against snails turned into a journey of wonder, as ‘dumped snails’ in a far-off wood would return home!
She eventually gave up, and instead read up on the surprisingly romantic life of snails. And realised that it’s good to enjoy the slow life, and accept that snails are here to stay!
- Let’s Explore Snails! is a beautifully illustrated guide for children, on our slimy friends. It includes facts on snails and urban ecosystems, to encourage a love for nature. The book is both engaging and educational, using humour and science to make complex ideas simple. Perfect for classroom use.
- A Day in the Life of a Snail is an illustrated book for children, showing a 24-hour period in the life of this fascinating little creature. Why do snails hide during the day, how do they slide from place to place and how do they forage for plants to eat, and hide from predators?
- Don’t Squish a Slug is another fun book to educate young readers on the importance of all creatures in our ecosystem.
- The Good Slug Guide busts the myths and also offers a way to live with slugs and snails, rather than harm them. Written by an expert who has spent 30 years studying the subject, he says that actually it’s a myth that hedgehogs and frogs will take care of everything, as they often eat beetles that eat slugs.
Forget copper and killing slugs. Just add more plants and organic matter, prune and dig less, and this should take care of issues naturally. Jo tells us:
- The average garden has 35,000 slugs, so no ‘control’ will ever work.
- Slugs are harmless and some eat other slugs, so you may be killing the slugs that would do the work for you anyway.
- Slugs are active after rain, they don’t actually like it. They will try to find shelter.
