If you’re seeking a way to keep snails away from your garden or balcony, preventing them from damaging your plants without resorting to chemical products, you’ve come to the right place.
Snails can cause serious harm to both vegetable and flowering plants. What makes them even more troublesome is their swift attacks, primarily occurring during the nighttime hours. They are challenging to ward off and eliminate, but fortunately, there are natural tricks that yield excellent results against snails without the need for pesticides or other chemical products. Here are six suggestions:
1) Manual Removal
Early morning is the best time to manually remove snails. Consistent manual removal is the most effective method to ensure not a single snail is left behind. Although snails are nocturnal, some continue to feed on plants during the early morning hours, retracting as the sun rises.
- Place a few drops of liquid soap in a bucket. Clean water won’t kill snails, but soapy water will. The soap’s oils create a film on their thin skin, hindering oxygenation.
2) Crushed Eggshells
Crushed eggshells are one of the best methods to keep snails away from your garden. The soft, slimy exterior of snails is easily damaged by crushed eggshells.
- Crush eggshells and scatter them around the base of the plant. Ensure the pieces are not too fine, as larger fragments are more effective in cutting through the snails’ skin.
- Besides repelling snails, eggshells gradually provide calcium and other nutrients to the soil.
3) Protective Collars
While snails can be destructive, their access to plants is not straightforward. Their only method of attack involves climbing up the stem to reach the leaves. A protective collar around the stem should suffice to safeguard the plant.
- Create a protective collar using toilet paper or absorbent paper. Cut them into 5-centimeter pieces and insert them like collars around each plant. The height and shape of the paper roll are sufficient to prevent snails from reaching the plant.
4) Beer, Sugar, or Yeast Trap
A common method to attract and trap snails involves beer, sugar, or yeast. It’s not the taste of beer that lures them; rather, it’s the sugar and yeast content that makes it irresistible.
- If you prefer not to use beer, create a homemade solution with 3 liters of water, a packet of yeast, and 100 grams of sugar.
- Use small containers like tuna cans, fill them with beer or the solution, and let the snails access it, leading to their drowning.
5) Melon Rinds
Melon rinds are an excellent natural option to attract and trap snails. These creatures are drawn to the sweet taste of melon or watermelon.
- Place the melon rinds around the plants, with the pulp facing the soil. Snails will attack the rinds, preferring them over the plant, and seek shelter beneath them. All you need to do is remove and discard them in a bucket of water and soap.
6) Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are among the essential allies for those with green thumbs. They protect and nourish plants while helping to repel insects.
- Spread coffee grounds around the plant to create a barrier, as the rough surface damages the snails’ skin.
Moreover, coffee grounds supply nutrients and minerals to the plant. With these simple yet effective methods, you can bid farewell to snail-related plant woes without harming the environment or resorting to chemicals
