How do I get rid of snails?

Answer

There are several ways to deal with snails:

  1. Place an abrasive barrier around your plants, e.g.. grit, broken egg shells, or course sand.
  2. Place traps in the garden beds. A popular trap is beer. Place saucers of beer around your plants. Snails will be drawn to the taste and smell and will drown. Replace the beer every few days.
  3. Erect a barrier that is unattractive to snails around the plants. Copper flashing or wire is thought to be effective. You can buy it in many nurseries.
  4. Eliminate hiding places. Snails like to hide under boards, benches, rocks, steps etc. during the day.
  5. Manually pick snails from your garden beds. Wear gloves or use tongs. Some people use chopsticks! Look for them after rain or at night with a flashlight.
  6. Clear out debris where snails may hide.
  7. Change your gardening practices, e. g. water in the morning rather than at night.
  8. Use commercial baits. Unfortunately, most of these contain chemicals poisonous to human. (Iron phosphate is safe though.)
  9. Encourage predators, such as garter snakes.
  10. Some plants are more resistant to snails than other. Try:  California poppies, fuchsias, geraniums, impatiens, lantana, ornamental grasses, and scented herbs (like rosemary and lavender).

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service

  • Last Updated Jun 07, 2018
  • Views 160
  • Answered By Ken Lloyd

FAQ Actions

Was this helpful? 1 0

Ask a plant expert

Send us an email or use the question form below.

Submit a question

Before submitting your question, try searching our Plant and Gardening FAQ page and Help Guides. Still need help? Fill out the form below and a plant expert will answer your individual plant and gardening questions. We will respond to questions in the order we receive them.

Your Question
Your Info
Fields marked with * are required.