How can i get rid of snails in my garden without killing them cos thats cruel!!?

Answer 1

Don't use salt! Salt will kill them! They will start frothing and DIE!
Your plants will also DIE!

Don't use beer! Beer will poison them and they will DIE!

A perimeter of sand around the garden only works if you have enough in depth and in width. ie a hands width and at least a thumb in depth. You also have to make sure there is nothing bridging the perimeter like blades of grass and leaves. To do this you will need to start digging a mini trench to fill with sand.

Further to perimeters - snails lay their eggs in the soil and that is mostly the soil immediately around your plants, close to food. A perimeter will reduce movement into the garden but also contain those already inside the perimeter.

The solution is to place content around the base of the plant itself as an immediate perimeter. You can use coarsely crushed eggshell (good luck getting enough of that), wood ash, sawdust, coarse gravel or sand. Make the application in a thick circle around the plant but not touching the stem. Make sure there aren't any leaves drooping down on to the soil because they'll just climb right up. Scatter the remaining material of choice all over the rest of the soil around your plants.

Why it works.
Snails and the like, ie slugs move along by 'convulsing' their slimey belly (called a foot). When they crawl over the material it sticks to their slime. They don't like it so they move away. Sharp things aren't a deterrent as they can easily glide over a razor without cutting themselves open. It's the annoying crap that gets stuck all over them that they don't like!

Other considerations:
Snails like moist dark areas and are mostly nocturnal and they find their food by smell.
Garlic is a naturally strong smelling deterrent.
Snails tend to go for the young tender plants and seedlings.

So.......

....plant a couple dozen garlic cloves in and around your garden. You can trim the garlic leaves when they get too big and toss them in with a stirfry for a gorgeous aroma and flavour and leave the bulbs to grow and mature. Then you can dry some and start all over again.

Don't give them places to hide under and breed around your garden area. eg big unused flowerpots and junk.

Have your garden in an area that gets the most sun.

Use an irrigation system so you can water the plants directly without spreading the moisture everywhere it's not needed. If you water at night you'll save water too.

Plant hardier plants.

pH your soil with a little garden lime to reduce eggs being laid.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Put sand aound the edges of your gardens or flowers. The snail can't crawl through the sand and as soon as they touch it they will crawl away. Play sand works really good and is usually cheaper. The downside is you have to keep replacing the sand after hard rains, but it won't kill the snails. It also helps with other creatures like slugs.

Answer 3

I know how you feel. I just collect them up and put them as far away from the flowers as I can. Of course they return but it takes a while to travel back. The way I look at it is....they don't eat that much and there are more than enough greens to go around.

When I was a child my dad used to grow vegetables. When it came to planting peas, which the children used to pick as soon as they were ready to eat, and the birds used to peck from the ground before they had time to grow, he would always plant enough for everyone....the kitchen the children and the birds so everyone was catered for.

Answer 4

plant a load of juicy lettuce in your neighbours garden and give them directions! im afraid theres no way of getting rid of them without killing them really and the beer trap is probably the most humane way. Bury a pint glass in the soil with just a 1/2 inch or so exposed then half fill it with beer, leave it for a few days and it will soon fill up with the pesky critters.

Answer 5

You need to grow some, Snails are disgusting like something you'd find in used Kleenex. Get some salt. get some beer and get a hatchet. Now man up.

Answer 6

Are you more worried about the damage the snails will do to your plants or hurting snails?

If you reply "damage to your plants", set out beer traps in shallow jar lids. The snails will drown with a smile on their faces.

Otherwise get use to the snail damage - you will never be able to capture & transfer all the snails & slugs much less find all of their eggs.

Answer 7

Are ya speaking snails(with shells on their backs) or slugs - which type of seem as if snails sans shells? in any case, eliminate non-porous mulch. even as plant environs are too soggy, the slugs take position. also, sprinkling a hoop of sand round flora will discourage the buggers because it truly is a significant irritant to their pores and skin.

Answer 8

I think a party would be nice, take cookie sheets, and spread cheese curles on one, pretzels on another, Raman top noodle soup(dry) on another, then Take several cookie sheets and spread out Beer, I recommend Natural Lite. Spread nicely in shallow trays!
What a party, salty snacks,Beer, what more could ay creature in the world wish for!

Answer 9

Make yourself a nice wildlife pond.
Your pond will eventually attract frogs.(a year or so)
Frogs deter snails.
Problem solved.
Not a quick solution but environmentally & humane

Answer 10

I looked at a lot of options for that. The one that worked was seaweed, they will not go on it because of the salt content, then when it dries, they stay off because it goes sharp and prickly.
Only any good if you live by the coast.