The lettuce in the garden is beginning to bring you fresh salads. Those tomatoes taste great. And there’s more fresh produce than you can eat, store and can!  Vulcan Termite and Pest Control, Inc. has done the same thing we do every year which forces us to give away bushels of zucchini and squash.

Then one day before planning for the huge harvest in September, you notice them. Slimy critters are starting to slither around the cucumber patch. On closer inspection, you notice them screwing around the ‘maters.

You have one question to ask right off-the-bat. Are these snails or slugs? That’s simple. Look at the shells. Snails have coiled shells. Slugs don’t. Regardless, you’re about to have a problem with your garden and your property as a whole.

Dealing With ‘Em

It’s amazing some of the ways you can rid yourself of these slow moving beasts. If you’re Bear Grylls, you’d probably just eat them. Excellent source of protein, he’d say. But for those not into the delicacy, take these tips to heart:

• There’s nothing like a nice tall cold one. Except for snails. You can drop a cap of beer on the slippery creatures. Better yet, purchase some very small plastic, disposable bowls and put a couple of teaspoons of lager in them. The snails drop by the garden bar, take a sip and blammo, they die.
• Another option is using the same bowls and purchase some baking yeast. Half a teaspoon will do. Then add a heaping tablespoon of sugar in water. Works the same as the beer method.
• Go to a swimming pool supply shop and purchase a small bag of this stuff called diatomaceous earth. It will penetrate the epidermis of the snail. They get dehydrated. Make sure you repeat the process after every rainfall. Simply sprinkle the stuff on your plants and flower beds.
  
• Take some empty flower pots and strategically arrange them — upside-down. It will trap the snails. They can’t emerge once inside. Every day check the catch, scoop them up and toss them into a small, plastic grocery bag. Tie it tight and toss it out.
• Got toads? They love eating snails. Puddle-up a touch of water. It draws the critters. A nearby toad will thank you by allowing them to feast on the crawlers.
• In another vein, any areas that collect moisture, coolness and shade are extremely attractive to snails. Fill the holes. Get rid of any rotting wood piles. Stack your flower pots, let them dry and put them in the shed or garage. Clean up your yard.
• You may not have the stomach for this, but here goes anyway. Buy a small pack of surgical gloves. Put on a pair once you’re in the trouble area. Bring along a small container filled halfway with dish detergent and H2O. Pluck and drop the buggers in the solution. Do you have any kids? If they’re not squeamish, turn it into a contest. The child with the most snails after an hour gets a one-time prize. A bunch of kids involved? Have a basket of runner-up awards.
• Forget the manual approach. Take out some inexpensive table salt and pinch a sprinkle on their bodies. Presto-chango. They’ll melt right before your eyes.

All of the above solutions are eco-friendly. Love Old Lady Nature. There’s no need to go crazy with poison. By the way, save a beer for us. Our folks are thirsty too.

Original Source: https://www.vulcantermite.com/education-and-prevention/snail-invasion

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